Page 9 - Gateways_2019_SPRING

Treats from the Clouds

ENRICHMENT The old adage is that puzzles can help

keep your mind young. And just as they’re
important for keeping people sharp,
we believe they’re important for keeping our
animals healthy, too.
The Chicago Zoological Society’s team of behavioral
enrichment specialists is continually looking to develop
new and innovative toys, called enrichment devices, to
keep the animals mentally and physically fit. The enrichment
items often involve new and innovative ways to get
treats—animals spend much of their time in the wild
looking for food, and so this helps our animals mimic
healthy natural behaviors.
As part of our efforts to come up with new enrichment
items, our gorillas are currently enjoying the zoo’s first “food
from above” feeder. Animal care specialists at Tropic World
fill a timed feeding device with some of the gorillas’ favorite
snacks—including dried fruit, uncooked pasta, Cheerios,
and other healthy treats. The feeder “rains snacks” upon the
troop at different times throughout the day, giving them a
fun, new way to receive and play with their food.
Staff carefully choose the times, constantly switching
them up to keep the gorillas thinking. These feeders are still
fairly new, but if they are deemed a success, more will be
created for our other animal residents.

WESTERN LOWLAND GORILLA

BROOKFIELD ZOO | SPRING 2019 9