Aja Pendergrast, Auckland Zoo
When you next visit the Zoo – you might spot the lions and tigers engaging in enriching play!
Behavioural enrichment is an essential part of the science of care, and our skilled keepers provide enriching activities for the tiniest tamarin to the largest of cats.
Learn more about the science of care and why our keepers provide prey-sized enrichment items for lions and tigers.
When it comes to big cats like tigers, behaviour is strongly centred around the acquisition of food. This goes beyond simply consuming it and reflects an intrinsic need to perform appetitive behaviours associated with seeking and obtaining it.
We utilise artificial enrichment items like weighted mussel buoys to replicate natural preconsumptive behaviours – such as the detection, capture and dragging of a prey item. Physiologically, tigers are literally built for this. They have immense strength in their jaws, large canine teeth and carnassial teeth for shearing meat off the bone. Combined with incredible upper body strength, tigers can drag prey items up to 150 kg!
As carnivore team leader Nick explains, “Hunting behaviours like this are natural and intrinsically motivating for them. Similar to the way in which your cat might want to chase a fly or a piece of string – these behaviours are innate within the animal.”
The reason that items such as mussel buoys are so great to use, is that they’re prey-sized and able to withstand the strength of the tigers in ways that other items simply cannot. When male tiger Ramah jumps on the buoy, it can withstand his sheer weight and force as well as his immense jaw and claw strength.
We utilise all areas of their habitat to provide enrichment opportunities, from hanging mussel buoys in the tree and placing them in the pool to encourage the tigers into the water. This has been amazing to see with two-year-old Cahya. Enrichment items move differently in the water than they do on land, which can elicit different behaviours.
The great part is that these are waste items that we’re able to take out of the environment. Our friends at Sea Cleaners provide us with used buoys that they find floating in the Hauraki Gulf. This is a win for the animals we care for and for the animals in the ocean.
