onestepfootstep asked:

Hi, if you're still willing to answer questions about zoos (if you're busy/not, zero worries about it, just curious) but when animals in zoos get enrichment, how do you know what kinds of enrichment would be beneficial to different animals. Is it just "watch and see what they gravitate to when given options"?

Oh, there’s a whole procedure that has to be followed in order to introduce new enrichment. You have to file a proposal about what the enrichment is, the design/materials, how you expect it will stimulate the animal, what the intended benefit will be, etc. It then has to be approved by the lead zookeeper for that particular animal, the veterinarian, the nutritionist (if it involves food), and the zoo director. If approved, introducing the new enrichment has to be strictly monitored for any adverse (like stress) or unforeseen effects.

Each animal has a list of approved enrichment, which is great because we can rotate them frequently, which maintains their novelty to the animal! :)