Trunkline Magazine (Louisville Zoo) Trunkline Magazine: December 2016 | Page 17

Gary Michael, Bird Curator: "Cranes like pumpkins and pump- kin seeds as a treat. Passerines (commonly referred to as perching birds or songbirds) like string, cloth, paper, cardboard and exploring wooden spools with their beaks" Alexis Williamson, Gorilla For- est keeper: "In spring, our keepers color whole melons to look like Easter eggs. The hippos love to roll them around and eat them. The gorillas enjoy unrolling and playing with rolls of paper towels we attach to high places inside Gorilla Forest. It’s a mess to clean up but so much fun to watch!" Stephanie Green, Glacier Run keeper: "Qannik the polar bear loves flavored ice treats with a fish and a dollop of peanut butter in the middle. Yum!" When considering an enrich- ment activity, keepers consider the animal’s natural behaviors and in- terests. For example, what and how does each animal eat? Are they meat eaters, like tigers, that hunt with teeth and claws? Are they plant eaters, like giraffes, that can reach way up high with long necks and tongues? Do they have hands that explore and pick things up? Do they have beaks that strain water or peck into holes for bugs? Do the animals run, fly, swim or crawl? All of these questions help our keep- ers decide what may make a great enrichment item. You can see that enrichment is a fantastic way to really liven up an animal’s day! Keeping in the spirit of the season, we’d like to invite you to join in on the enrichment fun. Give a gift to your favorite Zoo animal from our Enrichment Tree (more information on page 18). Last year, the animals received fun gifts like paper lawn bags, small boomer balls, extracts, spices and ice molds. We even had a class make enrich- ment items for our animals as a school project. Tackle an item on your own or invite your friends and family to join in on the fun. Find out what’s on our animals’ wish lists this year at LouisvilleZoo. org/enrichment_tree. Happy holi- days! Louisville Zoo Trunkline • Winter 2016 • 17