Ball game in pyjamas September 17, 2019

Every day, zoo keepers think about what programmes, activities, delicious snacks and exciting toys can be used to diversify the everyday life of the animals with which they are entrusted. One such option is to give them some kind of a toy. Of course, not any kind of toy, since, as with young children, zoo toys have to meet many requirements. Recently, our zebras have been given a special ball, specifically designed for zoo animals, inside which even delicious snacks cab be hidden, so that over time they spill out if the animals chase the ball a lot. Even so, the ball itself can be interesting without the delicacies, as can be seen in the short film made by one of the zebra's carers. Of course, they do not play "football" in the strict sense of the word, since they are steering the ball in the enclosure not so much with their feet, but rather with their other end, their nose area.

Toys for animals are also part of what is known as environmental enrichment. The purpose of this is to provide zoo animals with a programme of activities, of things to do. It is a fact that while in nature it is an all-day activity for animals to take care of everything they need in order to survive, in the zoo they get almost everything ready. There is no struggle for survival or a painstaking effort to find new pastures. Of course, this leaves the animals with a lot of spare time, and they could even get bored if we didn't offer them enrichment.There are, of course, many forms of enrichment: the desired purpose can be achieved through varying the equipment in their accommodation, different ways of offering feed, animal training and, of course, various toys. As for the latter, of course not only zebras get toys, but also many other animals. Last year, during a major toy purchase, we also gave a detailed report on the toys our Zoo residents get.