A few nice animal behavior images I found:
Sad Eyes
Image by Austin King
This unfortunate macacque is locked in a cage. The island is only 8 square kilometers and the monkey population there is in the thousands, but for some reason they put these monkeys in a cage. They were exhibiting some disturbing neurotic behavior, like licking the bars of the cage and pacing back and forth. We fed him a banana.
Easter Enrichment at the Smithsonian's National Zoo
Image by Smithsonian's National Zoo
Photo credit: Jennifer Zoon, Smithsonian's National Zoo
Small mammals weren’t the only ones that received goodies from the Easter Bunny—he also stopped at the Bird House! Cricket the keel-billed toucan received a fruit-ice treat shaped like a duckling, a variety of birds in the Outdoor Flight Exhibit received Easter eggs and “jelly beans” (peanuts colored with food dye), and Rocky the whooping crane found some delicious meal worms in his basket. Yum!
Food—and the many forms it comes in—is an important component of Animal Enrichment, a program that provides physically and mentally stimulating activities and environments for the Zoo’s residents. Keepers and curators carefully study animal behavior and determine what kinds of enrichment are appropriate for each species and individual animals. Food is presented in a variety of ways such as in a simple puzzle feeder, hidden or scattered about the enclosure, or buried in a substrate. Engaging activities helps keepers ensure the Zoo’s animals have a high quality of life and holidays are a perfect opportunity to entertain visitors while providing enrichment to the animals.
The Smithsonian is dedicated to the research and conservation of extraordinary animals. Come visit these animals and their cousins at the National Zoo.
In this photo: A pair of bamboo partridges partake of "jelly beans" (peanuts with food coloring).
Easter Enrichment at the Smithsonian's National Zoo
Image by Smithsonian's National Zoo
Photo credit: Hillary Colton, Smithsonian's National Zoo
Small mammals weren’t the only ones that received goodies from the Easter Bunny—he also stopped at the Bird House! Cricket the keel-billed toucan received a fruit-ice treat shaped like a duckling, a variety of birds in the Outdoor Flight Exhibit received Easter eggs and “jelly beans” (peanuts colored with food dye), and Rocky the whooping crane found some delicious meal worms in his basket. Yum!
Food—and the many forms it comes in—is an important component of Animal Enrichment, a program that provides physically and mentally stimulating activities and environments for the Zoo’s residents. Keepers and curators carefully study animal behavior and determine what kinds of enrichment are appropriate for each species and individual animals. Food is presented in a variety of ways such as in a simple puzzle feeder, hidden or scattered about the enclosure, or buried in a substrate. Engaging activities helps keepers ensure the Zoo’s animals have a high quality of life and holidays are a perfect opportunity to entertain visitors while providing enrichment to the animals.
The Smithsonian is dedicated to the research and conservation of extraordinary animals. Come visit these animals and their cousins at the National Zoo.
In this photo: Albert, a blue-billed curassow, inspects an Easter egg.
