What is Animal Enrichment?

Enrichment is very important for everyone!  Do you like playing video games or going for walks in the park?  These are things that people do for enrichment.  Animals love enrichment just as much as people.  Animal enrichment involves making items which encourage animals to exhibit their natural behaviors.  It could be something as simple as spreading their food around their enclosure, or giving them an item with an interesting new smell .  The zoo keepers and education staff work very hard every day to make good enrichment items that are fun for the animals.  These items give the animals something to ocupy their mind and encourage them to be more active.  Next time you are at the zoo check for some enrichment items hiding in the animals' exhibits.

How Can I Help?

You can donate items to the zoo that can be used for animal enrichment.  Below is a list of items that can be donated for enrichment use.  Please contact the zoo before bringing any of these items. 

Recycled Items:

Empty tissue boxes                            Empty 2 liter bottles

Empty milk jugs/juice jugs                  Newspaper

Paper bags                                        Paper lunch bags

Phone books                                     Yogurt cups (clean)          

Empty paper towel, toilet paper                                                  and gift wrap rolls

Food Items:

Assorted nuts (unsalted)                      Cereal

Corn meal                                          Dried fruits/vegetables

Frozen fruits/vegetables                      Flour (all purpose)

Honey                                                Jello (Sugar Free)

Jelly (Sugar Free)                               Kool Aid, Gator aid

Peanut butter                                      Rice, grains

Sunflower seeds (unsalted)                  Spices, herbs

Seeds for produce

Other items:

Empty beer kegs                                 Bowling balls

CDs                                                   Dog, cat, bird toys

Eyehooks                                           Grapevine

Ice cube trays                                     Plexiglass

Pillow cases                                        Pine cones

Wild flowers                                        Suet feeders

Towels                                                Wood (Untreated)

PVC - caps, elbows, pipes, etc.   

Small plastic containers with lids,                                               i.e. butter or cottage cheese (clean)

Please contact the zoo at (330) 375-2550 before bringing any of these items for donations.