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Grooming behaviors are vital
to the health and well-being of

many species. Most of the time,
they do a great job of caring

for their bodies on their own.
But when they don’t, our animal

care specialists have a few
tricks up their sleeves.

n a walk through the Zoo, you may see a
O O bird preening its feathers, a young animal
being licked clean by its mother, or an ape picking
debris out of another’s fur. These everyday animal
behaviors may seem unremarkable, but the Zoo’s
animal care specialists say there’s more going on
in these scenes than meets the eyes.
These are examples of animal grooming behavior,
or animals caring for the surface of their body—
whether it is covered in skin, scales, feathers, fur,
or hair. Although what is considered natural
grooming behavior varies from species to species,
it provides many benefits to animals from comfort
and social bonding to disease prevention and predator
avoidance. When grooming is inadequate, animals
can suffer discomfort, pain, injury, or disease. In fact,
an animal’s failure to groom itself can indicate that
it is doing poorly.
Depending on the species, grooming may involve
bathing; picking dirt, parasites, and dead skin from
the body; applying oils to feathers; wallowing in
mud holes; or rubbing against a rock. And some
species, such as hoofed animals, do not groom
much at all.
Our animal care staff contribute to the hygiene
of our animals by cleaning their habitats on a daily
basis and by continuously monitoring their physical
condition. They also play an important role in
facilitating animals’ grooming behaviors, which
promotes their optimal health and well-being.

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