The young biologists of the Children’s Ecology and Nature Study Academy of Feldman Ecopark carry out collecting unnecessary old stuff, which can be used for environmental enrichment of animals. The young naturalists invite partial Kharkiv citizens and residents of the region to join a campaign.
“On trainings carried by the specialists of the Academy of European Association of Zoos and Aquaria on animal welfare we were taught how to use various things to provide interesting and useful leisure for our animals. It is based on the principle of stimulation of behavior, natural to this or that animal species: foraging, dwelling building, grooming. By the way, the environmental enrichment differs from animal training – the animal is engaged in something it likes, but not the person — the head of the Club of biologists of the Children’s Ecology and Nature Study Academy Feldman Ecopark Anna Pozdnyakova told. — Anything can be useful for such purposes – old clothes, footwear, improper watering hoses, plastic bottles and even bowling balls or highway markings. So, we carry out collecting similar things and as we need a lot of them, we invite to join everyone – bring served things, giving them second life for the benefit of our animals”.
Young naturalists together with animal keepers prepared the list of necessary:
• for apes: clothes, tows, thick ropes, hoses, tires, basins, bathtubs, 5-10 liter plastic bottles, baskets, fire hoses;
• for predators: jeans, footwear, tires, plastic bottles, highway markings, bowling balls;
• for birds: baskets, mirrors, carton tubes from packing parcels in supermarkets;
• for hoofed animals: big balls, brushes written off from car wash.
That’s not a full list. Everyone who understands the principles of improvement of animal and bird welfare can show imagination and sharpness. The young naturalists promise to carry out a master class in environmental enrichment of animals already this weekend.
It should be reminded that the Feldman Ecopark’s animal collection totals more than 2000 animals of 300 species. About 50 specialists take care of them, and the young naturalists from the Children’s Ecology and Nature Study Academy (one of the largest out-of-school educational institutions in Ukraine) help the specialists.
