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September 22nd through the 30th has been designated
by Governor Bredesen as Tennessee Week for the Animals
to bring further awareness to the love and joy that
animals bring to our lives. During this week, educators
and husbandry staff members at the Tennessee Aquarium
will highlight the importance of animal enrichment
activities and how this can relate to anyone with pets
at home.
Mr.
Potatohead is one of the many toys seen in the habitat
of the Giant Pacific Octopus for example. Octopi
are highly intelligent and they love anything new and
unusual to investigate or play with. The hyacinth macaws
enjoy a spray bottle shower or being given a paper
bag with grapes or nuts inside. Both are enrichment
activities the birds can’t get enough of.
Shaved
ice serves as enrichment for penguins who love to
hop on or peck at piles brought into the exhibit
occasionally. And the snowy treat is also excellent
mental stimulation for otters. “The otters
get snow with fish in it and they like that because
they like to dig in it to find the treat,” says
Senior Aviculturist Amy Graves. “In the
wild, otters dig a lot so this activity matches their
natural behavior.”
And
it’s not just the animals at the Tennessee
Aquarium that require enrichment; any pet at home needs
the same mental TLC. “Enrichment is different
for different species. So you need to know your
animal and what’s natural for them,” says
Gregory. “Dogs for example need a job. For some
breeds this could mean patrolling the fence-line. For
a terrier it might mean creating a dirt pile for them
to dig through.”
Cats
also require enrichment, especially if someone has
just one cat in the home. “A cat needs toys
and human interaction. Without mental stimulation
a cat, like any animal, will become less active, gain
weight and may become destructive to themselves or
their surroundings,” says Gregory.
Birds
also need human interaction to stay mentally fit. “Birds need a partner or someone
in the home a lot to interact with them,” says
Graves. Birds also enjoy toys and playtime with
humans to keep their minds active.
Here are the top five pet enrichment tips according
to Graves and Gregory:
- Enrichment needs to be safe.
- Enrichment activities need to be supervised
- Enrichment needs to be species appropriate
- Enrichment needs to be random to be effective
- The best form of enrichment is attention from the
pet owner
During Tennessee Week for the Animals visitors to
the Tennessee Aquarium will be able to learn more about
enrichment during the daily penguin keeper talks. |
