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Summary of Description:
Denver Zoo provides daily enrichment to all the 3,000+ animals to encourage their natural behaviors. Stingray Cove™’s sharks and rays also receive enrichment, including puzzle feeders, ice treats, and training sessions for mental and physical stimulation. Recently, they enjoyed egg-cellent enrichment with tasty treats like squid, capelin, and shrimp.
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Denver Zoo: Encouraging Natural Behaviors with Enrichment for Sharks and Rays
Denver Zoo is home to more than 3,000 animals, each receiving daily enrichment encouraging them to use their natural behaviors. The sharks and rays at the Stingray Cove™ have not been left behind, as they also receive the same enrichment that includes puzzle feeders, ice treats, and training sessions. This article will examine the recent egg-cellent enrichment that the sharks and rays at Stingray Cove™ enjoyed.
Puzzle Feeders and Ice Treats
Puzzle feeders are excellent enrichment tools that encourage animals to use their minds to solve puzzles and access food. The stingrays at Stingray Cove™ are regularly given puzzle feeders as part of their daily enrichment. By solving the mystery, the stingrays access their favorite foods, including squid, shrimp, and capelin. The feeders come in different shapes and sizes, some suspended from the water surface while others placed on the pool floor.
Another popular enrichment tool for the Stingray Cove™ is the ice treat. These treats are made by freezing water mixed with different flavors and foods, including fish and fruit. The sharks and rays at the Stingray Cove™ love the ice treats, and they can be seen tirelessly attacking the blocks to access the delicacies hidden within. The ice blocks are then placed in the shark and ray pools, creating a fun challenge for them to unravel.
Training Sessions
In addition to puzzle feeders and ice treats, training sessions are essential for stimulating the sharks and rays mentally and physically at Stingray Cove™. The stingrays undergo training sessions involving target training and conditioning with animal care specialists. Target training helps stingrays to learn how to follow a target stick, which makes it easier for them to receive routine medical examinations and treatment. On the other hand, conditioning sessions involve teaching stingrays to present different body parts to examine and treat potential health issues properly.
Egg-cellent Enrichment
Recently, the sharks and rays at Stingray Cove™ were treated to some eggcellent enrichment, including Easter eggs filled with tasty treats. The eggs contained squid, shrimp, and capelin, some of the stingrays’ and sharks’ favorite foods. The egg-cell ent enrichment was fun for the animals and allowed them to engage in behaviors typically used to hunt for food in the wild.
Conclusion
Denver Zoo is committed to providing daily enrichment to all its animals, including the sharks and rays at Stingray Cove™. Enrichment tools such as puzzle feeders, ice treats, and training sessions keep the animals mentally and physically stimulated while providing them with behavioral challenges similar to those they would face in the wild. The recent egg-cellent enrichment provided the sharks and rays at Stingray Cove™ with tasty treats and an opportunity to use their hunting behaviors. The enrichment activities at Denver Zoo are part of the organization’s commitment to ensuring that all their animals live happy, healthy lives.
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Source Description
Did you know that all 3,000+ animals who call Denver Zoo home receive daily enrichment, encouraging them to use their natural behaviors? The sharks and rays in Stingray Cove™ are no exception as they receive enrichment like puzzle feeders, ice treats, and training sessions that help keep them mentally and physically stimulated! These cuties recently enjoyed some eggcellent enrichment filled with tasty treats like squid, capelin, and shrimp.
Video Credit: Living Exhibits Senior Exhibit Supervisor Alex and Animal Care Specialist Sydney
