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Members of Trees For You and Me (TFYM), a tree planting and conservation program, get ready to dig in at a
tree-planting event. CZS's senior keeper of carnivores, Christy Mazrimas-Ott (center, holding the placard), is the
TFYM program manager.

Food, Furnishings, and Fun is also engaging for guests. “It draws natural behavior out of
animals—behavior our guests can appreciate,” said Sullivan.
No one loves trees more than our animals. Walk around the zoo
and you may notice an anteater rolling a log to look for insects, The benefits of browse don’t end there. Tree parts become
monkeys traversing their habitat on branches, or a giraffe grabbing exhibit furniture, which Sullivan calls “branching.” Branching
leaves from a high-hanging forage feeder. Parts from trees and facilitates nest building among birds and enables monkeys and
other plants are referred to as “browse” in the zoo world. other arboreal animals to move around their habitats. “Branching
“Browse is the closest item we have to the animals’ natural diets,” is their highway to get from point A to point B,” said Sullivan.
said Jennifer Watts, director of nutrition for CZS. “The fresh fiber “We put branching into their habitats in thoughtful ways that
is good for the gastrointestinal tract, chewing on the branches is allow animals to explore and utilize their habitat, going up high.”
good for dental health, and it allows our animals to engage in The acts of climbing branches, and moving around on them, keep
natural browsing behaviors.” animals physically fit.

Only parts from plants and trees on a species-approved-as-safe Branching is used to stimulate animals and keep them engaged,
list are given to our animals. The animals are especially fond of said Sullivan. For example, by periodically changing the orientation
parts from willow, mulberry, honey locust, and maple trees. of branches in monkey habitats, CZS crew members encourage the
animals to “turn on their brains.” Suddenly, the familiar route from
Since tree materials often contain bugs, browse is popular with point A to point B is gone. “They have to think, ‘How do I get
insectivores, or animals that mostly feed on worms and insects, said there? How do I use my habitat differently?’”
Tim Sullivan, CZS’s curator of behavioral husbandry. Many of
these animals have great weaponry, or long claws, such as anteaters, Fortunately, browse is plentiful at the zoo for much of the year.
aardvarks, and sloth bears. “When we provide them with raw mate- In addition to what our arborist and his crew provide, ComEd do-
rials—a large stump, a decaying tree, or branches—they dig, they nates branches cut down by its crews—up to 50 cubic yards a week
rip off bark, and pull rotting trees apart.” This helps them refine during the spring and summer. Some of the material is frozen so
their tools and skills. “It builds and maintains the animals’ muscu- animals can benefit from it throughout the year.
lature and keeps them physically fit.” Watching all of this action

26 GATEWAYS | CELEBRATE TREES WITH US!