The management of animals in a captive environment is not just limited to meeting their basic husbandry needs — food, water and shelter. Worldwide, modern zoos incorporate environmental enrichment programs into the animals' daily routine. This type of program is considered essential for a captive animal's overall health and well being — both physically and psychologically. Perth Zoo has an active animal enrichment program.

Like any captive animal, a family dog will spend the majority of its lifetime in the same 'exhibit' — a house and garden. A dog that is left in an unchanging environment, with an unvaried diet and few play items will become emotionally and physically impoverished from lack of daily stimulation. However, give that same dog regular enrichment through regular walks, a varied diet, plenty of interaction with humans and companion animals, and novel elements in its environment and the quality of life is immediately and noticeably improved.

Enrichment provides animals with a more challenging and stimulating environment to increase the range and diversity of natural behavioural patterns.

Perth Zoo seeks to create safe and unpredictable environments as appropriate for its animals. Suitable enrichment programs are developed for species by researching the behaviours of their wild counterparts. Senior veterinary staff and curators oversee and approve all enrichment activities at Perth Zoo.

The provision of enrichment also provides Zoo visitors with unique opportunities to observe animals exhibiting natural behaviours in a natural setting.

Enrichment in more detail

Just as we need to maintain genetic diversity, we must also conserve the full range of wild behaviours in captive animals. This is particularly important for animals that are bred in zoos and may be reintroduced into the wild environment.

An animal's physical environment can help stimulate natural behaviours:

• the zoo's tigers, rhinoceroses and elephants have been provided with pools or mud-holes for wallowing;
• a key element of the proposed orangutan redevelopment is the inclusion of interchangeable ropes and branches to create dynamic locomotive pathways and to encourage exploratory behaviours;
• all animals receive a frequent supply of 'novel' objects (dung from another species, a challenging food item etc) to stimulate investigation;
• some animals receive items buried under the soil to provide tactile stimulation and digging opportunities.

In the wild, animals spend considerable periods of time feeding or foraging. Creative feeding strategies that encourage foraging/hunting behaviours can be a very effective form of enrichment.

At Perth Zoo:

• food is smeared, scattered and hidden in exhibits;
• the primates have opportunities for foraging such as to pick popped corn kernels out of pine-cones;
• animals are provided with challenges such as puzzle-feeders (bamboo with holes stuffed with food, artificial termite mounds, puzzle-boxes with fruit inside, a fish inside an ice-block);
• various plant cuttings ('browse') are placed in different locations and heights within the exhibits; and
• animals are fed at random intervals with food of varied quantity, texture and freshness.

In the wild, certain species groom, play and court according to a social heirarchy. It is important that these social groupings are taken into account and that the social needs of the most active or reclusive animals are respected and met.

At Perth Zoo, we seek to:

• House social animals with appropriate members of the same species.
  In the case of the Hamadrayas Baboons, for example, it is not always appropriate to introduce two mature males to the same group;
• House social animals of different species in shared natural habitats to simulate the wild. Perth Zoo's giraffe and zebra live very successfully together in the African Savannah. A number of different bird species live harmoniously in the Wetlands exhibit;
• House less social animals individually or in smaller groups. In the wild, Sumatran Orangutans prefer a solitary existence with small groups of immediate relatives forming a standard family unit. Males typically live alone, only joining with females to mate.
• Unusual objects (natural or man-made) can provide mental stimulation for animals. These objects are replaced with other devices regularly to create and maintain interest.