Animal Enrichment
Enrichment Program
Animals, when within the care of humans, transition from an environment that has naturally shaped their instincts and behaviors over millennia. Our job, and passion, at Emirates Park Zoo is to enrich their lives in a manner that stimulates their minds and creates scenarios that allow them to express their natural behaviors, providing a small piece of what has been lost in this transition.
Being a zookeeper requires a deep understanding of each species to ensure the highest possible quality of life. We are committed to a dynamic and meaningful enrichment program. While Area Supervisors oversee enrichment planning for their respective animals, it’s a collaborative effort—keepers play a vital role in carrying out these activities. Together, we design and implement species-specific enrichment tailored to each animal’s unique needs. Enrichment, alongside health and nutrition, is essential to animal wellbeing. Our programs are shaped by globally recognized standards and adapted to suit a wide range of behavioural needs, helping every animal in our care thrive.
Let’s explore some of these enrichment types:
- Cognitive Enrichment : Encouraging mental stimulation and problem-solving that keep animals mentally engaged and focus on their mental wellbeing.
- Social Enrichment: Focused on fostering interactions between animals and occasionally human-animal interactions, it can include training sessions, introducing soft toys, or facilitating social play and reducing social aggression.
- Food Enrichment: Altering food presentation or the method of provision, food-based enrichment makes feeding more challenging and stimulates both appetitive and consummatory behaviors in an animal.
- Structural Enrichment: By altering physical elements within enclosures stimulates exploratory behaviors and ensures animals remain active and engaged with their environment.
- Sensory Enrichment: Encompasses stimulating the animals’ senses – visual, olfactory, auditory, and tactile – to enhance communication and information gathering about their surroundings.
We believe in providing a holistic approach to animal wellbeing, where enrichment plays a pivotal role. It’s our hope that by witnessing this, our guests can form deeper connections with these magnificent creatures and join us in our conservation efforts across the globe.
Together, let’s celebrate and preserve the wildlife.
