Whenever I tell people that I work at the zoo, their eyes light up and they ask a million questions. One of the questions I get asked a lot is, “What is your favorite part of your job?”. I really can’t pick a favorite because there isn’t any part that I don’t love. But I can let you in on one of my favorite parts, enrichment.
A big part of my job is to provide enrichment for the education animals. Enrichment is anything that stimulates the body or the mind of animals. Imagine spending all day in your bedroom with nothing to do. Animals can get lonely, bored, and depressed just like we do.
So, on a typical day, I arrive at the zoo, check my email, say hello to my friends in the Education Department and grab a cup of coffee. Sounds pretty normal, right? Well then the fun begins. I walk down to the building where Vincent, my very favorite wallaby, spends the night. I grab the denim pouch with Vincent’s name embroidered on it, give him a good scratch on the top of his head and under his ears and put him in the pouch. We walk up to the Education Center where Vincent spends his day, hopping, sleeping and getting scratched – a lot. This is an example of enrichment.
On some days, Lauren, one of the other instructors, sets Sheldon the Armadillo loose in the hall outside my office where he runs amuck. Sheldon often stumbles into my office searching for spiders or some of his favorite toys. As a matter of fact, Sheldon is at my feet taking a nap as I type this blog!
Since the animals that I work with are not pets, it can be a challenge to keep them stimulated. Most enrichment encourages behavior that the animal would normally be displaying in the wild. For example, I have a huge trunk full of dirt that the ferrets just go wild digging in. They also have tunnels to go through. Ferrets are ferocious rodent hunters. In the wild, they would be digging through tunnels looking for mice. By providing this type of enrichment, the ferret’s mind and body is stimulated. They are happier and healthier.
Most of the time you can find one of my animal friends in my office. It may be cute and playful ferrets or a mischievious pigeon flying about. I love being a part of keeping them healthy!
Thanks for reading! I would love to know more about you! Why are you interested in animals? Is there something you have always wondered? Don’t be shy! As always, I welcome any questions, comments, or even a topic that you would like to know more about.
Talk to you soon!
