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Hiding in

Plain Sight

There are many practical reasons why an
animal might not be in its habitat during
one of your visits. Perhaps it is behind the
scenes receiving a routine checkup from a
veterinarian or a husbandry training session
with an animal care specialist. Perhaps the
animal is in a holding area while its habitat
is being cleaned. On a hot day, an animal
that is normally outdoors may be cooling
off in an air-conditioned indoor area.
On a cold day, an animal may seek warmth
in a heated indoor area.
However, some animals can be difficult
to spot even when they are in their habitat—
and that’s to be expected. “Animals’ survival
in the wild often depends on not being seen,”
said Sullivan. “Being invisible, or having
the ability to self-conceal, is important for
predator and prey species alike.”
Prey species are animals that are heavily
hunted by other animals. They are especially
good at hiding, said Sullivan. The ability
to self-conceal is also important for predator
species that need to surprise their prey.
“The way they move, how they hide, their
camouflage, are all designed to make them
invisible to meet their needs—to either eat
or to not be eaten.”
Several of the new professional standards
created by the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums (AZA), the main accrediting
body for zoos and aquariums in North
America, require animals to be housed
in an environment that is safe, that meets
their physical and psychological needs,
and provides them with the opportunity
Above: One-way glass in REGENSTEIN WOLF WOODS allows visitors to watch the Mexican wolves
without the wolves becoming accustomed to humans.

“We don’t want the animals to have 100 percent visibility.

It’s important to give animals opportunities,

including opportunities to be out of sight.” — Sullivan

BROOKFIELD ZOO | SPRING 2023 17