Contributed by, Nicola Gothard
I came across an excellent environmental enrichment idea for long beaked birds such as toucans and hornbills. An ingenious individual has adapted the popular game ‘Kerplunk’ to keep the birds entertained. The birds must pull chopsticks out of a tube to obtain the treats hidden inside. You can read more about it here .
Captive animals can become very bored and develop abnormal behaviours because their behavioural repertoire is so restricted in captivity. Animals prefer to work for food because it stimulates their foraging instincts. Animals have evolved to find the process of searching for food rewarding through the release of happy hormones such as endophins. So animal keepers must find ways to simulate natural behaviours in an unnatural environment to ensure good welfare.