New Enrichment Items for Lions

[RedPandaReggie]

These are some enrichment items that I have found for Lions via the Lion Keeper Talk on the Auckland Zoo YouTube channel and other sources.

1. Rhinoceros Poo Enrichment: This enrichment is of behavioural benefit to the lions and they like to roll around in it and get the smell all over them.
2. Rock Meat Forager: This is where the lions will have an amount of rocks around the habitat and the lions will turn over the rocks to search for the meat until they find it.
3. Tree Meat Forager: This will encourage lions to rear up and place their paws on the branch the meat is on and they will eat it.
4. Shade Rock: This is where a lion will crawl under the overhang of this relatively large item and they will rest under the shade for a while.

Hope you enjoy these ideas.

 

[Firestar97]

Don't like the first one that much because they like to roll in it but it's great to give them the Opportunity to discover new Smells. I think I've seen once that Zoos also put Spices (Cinnamon and Curry for Example) in the Enclosures of Big Cats because they like it to discover new Smells in their Enclosure and also roll in it (so it would basically be the same Animations as for the first one). I remember seeing it done for Tigers (maybe also Leopards or Jaguars. It was a few Years ago that I saw it) and it would be a more hygienic Solution.
The other Ideas are great

Rock Meat Forager: This is where the lions will have an amount of rocks around the habitat and the lions will turn over the rocks to search for the meat until they find it.

This could also be suitable for Giant Otters if the Rocks aren't too big

Tree Meat Forager: This will encourage lions to rear up and place their paws on the branch the meat is on and they will eat it.

Bears would also like it

 

[RedPandaReggie]

Yeah, I thought the first would be kind of bizarre

 

[DarthQuell]

What about live feeders? Not like the fish feeder, but like what ZT2 had, where you place a small animal/box that the predators can hunt? Like the lizard enrichment. It doesn't have to be a lizard, it could also be rats or something. I haven't observed much live enrichment on zoos, but it's not impossible

 

[Swjosdotschka]

What about live feeders? Not like the fish feeder, but like what ZT2 had, where you place a small animal/box that the predators can hunt? Like the lizard enrichment. It doesn't have to be a lizard, it could also be rats or something. I haven't observed much live enrichment on zoos, but it's not impossible

You haven't seen that in real life zoos because feeding living animals is prohibited in most countries. Exceptions might only be made for some reptiles that don't accept dead food.
A prey wouldn't have the chance to flee in a zoo, so feeding living animals is considered immoral.

 

[VetGirl330]

A prey wouldn't have the chance to flee in a zoo, so feeding living animals is considered immoral.

Definitely not an ethical can of worms that Frontier is going to open.

 

[XT]

It's not just the ethical issue. Even prey animals can and will bite if they're fighting to live - an infected rat bit can kill a very expensive and rare lion. It's one reason why snake keepers try and move their animals onto dead food - even a mouse will bite. Finally, live food requires ... food. You have to feed, house, care for and keep clean any habitat that your food animals are living in, so essentially another habitat for the keeper to work with.

 

[Swjosdotschka]

It's not just the ethical issue. Even prey animals can and will bite if they're fighting to live - an infected rat bit can kill a very expensive and rare lion. It's one reason why snake keepers try and move their animals onto dead food - even a mouse will bite. Finally, live food requires ... food. You have to feed, house, care for and keep clean any habitat that your food animals are living in, so essentially another habitat for the keeper to work with.

Good points. I didn't mention the injrury from live food part, because I thought it would only apply to more dangerous wounds. But you are right, infectiions and viruses are a danger as well.

So, yeah, we should stick to enrichments that do not include living food. But I agree that we could need more variety for all animals.

 

[DarthQuell]

I hadn't thought of that. I mean, I've seen once or twice live mice in a snake enclosure, and just assumed all zoos do that. But that was years ago. It likely changed since then

 

[XT]

I hadn't thought of that. I mean, I've seen once or twice live mice in a snake enclosure, and just assumed all zoos do that. But that was years ago. It likely changed since then

Some animals cannot learn to take dead food so the zoos/facilities have to live feed. It's not ideal but snakes in particular can be extremely picky - they're not very smart and it's hard for them to learn.

Good points. I didn't mention the injrury from live food part, because I thought it would only apply to more dangerous wounds. But you are right, infectiions and viruses are a danger as well.

Yeah, partly, zoo enclosures - no matter how well done - are filthier, generally, than the animals wild environment, plus ... in the wild animals die in ways that we really try to avoid happing in captivity: infected wounds, broken limbs or teeth, etc.

 

[jcp011c]

I really like options 2-4. Option one...well it's probably great for nature but I"m not sure I want that in the game. Of course, I could always just never use it.