Orlandochins
Well-known member
Today I was at a seminar about animals in captivity and improving their enrichment activities....
A zoo in Washington was having an issue with their penguins. The penguins had stopped swimming and they were developing bumble foot from spending too much time on the ice...
So the Behavior Analyst that works at the zoo began exploring ideas of extra enrichment activities that would encourage penguins to get back in the water and he came upon one that was a hit...Death Balls!!!!! He took a ball and filled it with fish and put it in the water....the penguins started swimming around the ball and trying to get food...he said in 20 minutes they counted over 600 pecks at the ball!
I talked to the guy afterwards and told him I had a couple of balls that were given to me when a chin was surrendered and asked if he could use them. He gave me a card and told me to email him and when he returns home he will give me a contact address of someone to send it too (I am in Florida and he needs to travel back to Washington)....He said he is starting this project with several zoos across the country so he will be needing some but he needs to see what zoo is on the list to start this project next!!!!
If anyone has balls that they would like to donate to a zoo for this please feel free to email me at [email protected] (subjectline balls for zoos) and I will get in touch with this man and see where we can send the ball!!!!!
A zoo in Washington was having an issue with their penguins. The penguins had stopped swimming and they were developing bumble foot from spending too much time on the ice...
So the Behavior Analyst that works at the zoo began exploring ideas of extra enrichment activities that would encourage penguins to get back in the water and he came upon one that was a hit...Death Balls!!!!! He took a ball and filled it with fish and put it in the water....the penguins started swimming around the ball and trying to get food...he said in 20 minutes they counted over 600 pecks at the ball!
I talked to the guy afterwards and told him I had a couple of balls that were given to me when a chin was surrendered and asked if he could use them. He gave me a card and told me to email him and when he returns home he will give me a contact address of someone to send it too (I am in Florida and he needs to travel back to Washington)....He said he is starting this project with several zoos across the country so he will be needing some but he needs to see what zoo is on the list to start this project next!!!!
If anyone has balls that they would like to donate to a zoo for this please feel free to email me at [email protected] (subjectline balls for zoos) and I will get in touch with this man and see where we can send the ball!!!!!
