Pretoria Zoo

Animals at the Pretoria Zoo in South Africa had their Christmas treats on Tuesday when their keepers ran the festive environmental enrichment programme.

Animals that benefited from the enrichment activity included the Komodo dragons, the Bengal tigers, the Cape penguins, and the Cape vultures, which were given several treats as species-specific Christmas presents.

Zookeepers explained that environmental enrichment refers to interactions aimed to enhance the level of physical and social stimulation in zoo animals.

It is beneficial both for animal’s behavioural and physiological needs, said South African National Biodiversity Institute spokesperson Nontsikelelo Mpulo.

Mpulo said the animals were fed on a regular interval basis, but this particular enrichment programme was meant to educate people who visited the zoo about how the animals fed.

“It’s a nice feel for families that visit the zoo, and it’s done around this time every year,” she said.

Tigers

The zoo has three Bengal tigers, two of which are females – Tiyana and Toya – and one male named Zeus.

The tigers were let out of their cage to try to get them to open their presents.

The gift boxes were wrapped in red paper, and they contained meat, a treat the animals enjoyed.

“They are fed every two days,” said Mpulo.

One of the female tigers enjoyed a box opened by Zeus, who failed to see the meat falling out of the gift box.

Instead he took the box and vanished behind the trees.

When he realised what had fallen out of the box, he came back, roared and snatched the meat out of one the female’s paws.

He then proceeded to enjoy it under a tree.

Vultures

Among the animals that had the joy of using their natural smell instinct were the Cape vultures, which were treated with meat and jelly as an enrichment.

There are 30 vultures at the zoo and they are fed twice in seven days.

The vultures used their natural smelling instinct, which led them to open the box and container to find their presents.

Komodo dragons

Among the animals said to be in need of protection are the world’s largest lizards, the Komodo dragons, which can grow up to 3.13 metres long and weigh up to 166kg.

The zookeepers left a trail of rats that led the Komodos to their enrichment box, and they were given a watermelon with meat stuffed in it.

The zoo has two Komodo dragons, which stay in two separate spaces.

There are a limited number of Komodo dragons worldwide that are kept by zoos for breeding purposes just to ensure their survival, should they become extinct in the wild.

Penguins

The Cape penguins were given lavender as an enrichment, a treat they normally take to their holes to enjoy.

https://www.iol.co.za/pretoria-news/news/festive-environmental-enrichment-programme-sees-christmas-treats-for-animals-at-pretoria-zoo-d9246bc9-dca0-4436-b06d-e1abb04ed725

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Beautiful

Where human lives are not important, is it animal lives that will be important?

See ur zoo like Nigerian Governor's office

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Our own zoo here in Nigeria you will only see lizards and fowl

See how beautiful a zoo is! God help this country

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Hunger don make animals in Nigeria zoo lean finish

Holiday makers this will be fun

ihustler:
Where human lives are not important, is it animal lives that will be important?

Deep, but I'm lost

illicit:
See ur zoo like Nigerian Governor's office

Is that a good or bad thing? Knowing u though u mean it in a bad way

Prayfortheworld:

Our own zoo here in Nigeria you will only see lizards and fowl

See how beautiful a zoo is! God help this country

LOL, then it's just a park or garden

Letusfarm:
Holiday makers this will be fun

Start preparing for an Easter holiday in SA

TMKsouth:


Is that a good or bad thing? Knowing u though u mean it in a bad way

Ur zoo is like paradise compared to ours

nothing to write anywhere about

illicit:


Ur zoo is like paradise compared to ours

nothing to write anywhere about

Wow, this one's for the records - u were actually nice to me for once. I'll enjoy it while it lasts . Merry Christmas!

TMKsouth:


Wow, this one's for the records - u were actually nice to me for once. I'll enjoy it while it lasts . Merry Christmas!

Lol

I am not always serious

Same to you

Animals wey get sense pass some animals in human skin

Prayfortheworld:
Our own zoo here in Nigeria you will only see lizards and fowl

See how beautiful a zoo is! God help this country

lwkmd

Join the games night on Likers Paradise tonight at 8pm.

Lots of prizes to be won and unwrapped

https://www.nairaland.com/1789389/comment-without-like-wins-likers/683#108700318

Hmmm

lol

Wow