Zoo InternQuest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventure here on the Zoo’s website!
This week interns had the privilege of meeting with Jessica Sheftel, the Enrichment Supervisor at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Ms. Sheftel is in charge of finding and creating enrichment for the wide array of animals that live at the Zoo and Safari Park. Over the next couple of hours, Ms. Sheftel explained that enrichment is much more than just giving toys to the animals.
A lot of work goes into enrichment at the Zoo. Enrichment is providing stimulation for animals so that they exhibit their species typical behaviors. This takes way more forethought and planning than most people realize. Enrichment used to be about making animals more active but now it is much more. The original object based view of enrichment has shifted drastically to enrichment items that are more behavior based. This means that when Ms. Sheftel is working, she is looking for enrichment that will elicit an animal’s natural behaviors and entice them to utilize their physical attributes. It allows animals to take advantage of their natural gifts and promote natural behaviors. These behaviors are divided into different categories: sensory, manipulanda, foraging, and social. Sensory, focuses on things the animal can see, smell and hear. Manipulanda, these are things that the animal must put together or break apart, like a nest. Foraging are enrichment items that allow an animal to actively work or look for their food. Lastly, there is social enrichment, which encourages communication between different animals. Overall, Ms. Sheftel wants to ensure that the enrichment have a lasting impact on the animal and is not just a one time activity.
In addition to providing many different means of enrichment, Ms. Sheftel also works on creating an environment that is stimulating for the animals. The natural aesthetic that the Zoo and Safari Park provide for visitors is not just intended for the public. It is mainly intended to be in the best interest of many of the animals that call the Zoo and Safari Park home. However, the look of an animal’s exhibit may also be influenced by the public. There is a place for visitors to voice their concerns about an enclosure which Ms. Sheftel will then take these suggestions into consideration when making improvements. Furthermore, many of these concerns are quickly addressed as Ms. Sheftel talks to keepers about the wellbeing of each and every animal, and whether or not, things need to be changed in a timely manner. Ms. Sheftel told us that it is the Zoo’s top priority to keep an enclosure as natural as possible. These natural items can include branches, mulch, and live foliage. Ms. Sheftel said that many of the enclosure materials were found on Zoo grounds. Ms. Sheftel herself had found some of the items and placed them in the appropriate habitat in correspondence to the animals natural lifestyle. Interns had an opportunity to view some of Ms. Sheftel’s work with a visit to the squirrel monkeys living in the Children’s Zoo. Ms. Sheftel explained that unnatural items, like a crate, are necessary to the exhibit for training purposes, but are covered to maintain the natural aesthetics of the exhibit. By leaving the crate in the exhibit, the monkeys become much more familiar with the crate and crating process, which comes in handy when an individual needs to be moved. Any unnatural items you may see in an exhibit are usually necessary for the well being and health of an animal.
Personally, I found it interesting that enrichment can be found in the smallest of things. Specifically, small details like the perch an animal sits on to where the water is placed in an exhibit can change how an animal reacts to it’s environment. By seeing this, I drew the connection that more often than not, people tend to alter habitats without even realizing it. When people travel off the designated path or trail to create their own, it is changing the natural landscape, which can have detrimental effects on the native species of plants and animals. It is important to remember that in our daily lives we are living alongside these native species. We should do our part to preserve native habitats and ecosystems in order to maintain the natural balance.
Aliciá, Career Team
Week Four, Winter 2016
A lot of work goes into enrichment at the Zoo. Enrichment is providing stimulation for animals so that they exhibit their species typical behaviors. This takes way more forethought and planning than most people realize. Enrichment used to be about making animals more active but now it is much more. The original object based view of enrichment has shifted drastically to enrichment items that are more behavior based. This means that when Ms. Sheftel is working, she is looking for enrichment that will elicit an animal’s natural behaviors and entice them to utilize their physical attributes. It allows animals to take advantage of their natural gifts and promote natural behaviors. These behaviors are divided into different categories: sensory, manipulanda, foraging, and social. Sensory, focuses on things the animal can see, smell and hear. Manipulanda, these are things that the animal must put together or break apart, like a nest. Foraging are enrichment items that allow an animal to actively work or look for their food. Lastly, there is social enrichment, which encourages communication between different animals. Overall, Ms. Sheftel wants to ensure that the enrichment have a lasting impact on the animal and is not just a one time activity.
In addition to providing many different means of enrichment, Ms. Sheftel also works on creating an environment that is stimulating for the animals. The natural aesthetic that the Zoo and Safari Park provide for visitors is not just intended for the public. It is mainly intended to be in the best interest of many of the animals that call the Zoo and Safari Park home. However, the look of an animal’s exhibit may also be influenced by the public. There is a place for visitors to voice their concerns about an enclosure which Ms. Sheftel will then take these suggestions into consideration when making improvements. Furthermore, many of these concerns are quickly addressed as Ms. Sheftel talks to keepers about the wellbeing of each and every animal, and whether or not, things need to be changed in a timely manner. Ms. Sheftel told us that it is the Zoo’s top priority to keep an enclosure as natural as possible. These natural items can include branches, mulch, and live foliage. Ms. Sheftel said that many of the enclosure materials were found on Zoo grounds. Ms. Sheftel herself had found some of the items and placed them in the appropriate habitat in correspondence to the animals natural lifestyle. Interns had an opportunity to view some of Ms. Sheftel’s work with a visit to the squirrel monkeys living in the Children’s Zoo. Ms. Sheftel explained that unnatural items, like a crate, are necessary to the exhibit for training purposes, but are covered to maintain the natural aesthetics of the exhibit. By leaving the crate in the exhibit, the monkeys become much more familiar with the crate and crating process, which comes in handy when an individual needs to be moved. Any unnatural items you may see in an exhibit are usually necessary for the well being and health of an animal.
Personally, I found it interesting that enrichment can be found in the smallest of things. Specifically, small details like the perch an animal sits on to where the water is placed in an exhibit can change how an animal reacts to it’s environment. By seeing this, I drew the connection that more often than not, people tend to alter habitats without even realizing it. When people travel off the designated path or trail to create their own, it is changing the natural landscape, which can have detrimental effects on the native species of plants and animals. It is important to remember that in our daily lives we are living alongside these native species. We should do our part to preserve native habitats and ecosystems in order to maintain the natural balance.
Aliciá, Career Team
Week Four, Winter 2016
