Enrichment for Big Cats
Enrichment is an important part of animal management in human care
There are many forms of enrichment, including: habitat, sensory, food and non-food. At our big cat sanctuaries, LIONSROCK Big Cat Sanctuary and FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary, we focus on:
The large enclosures incorporate the natural landscape, providing the big cats with opportunities to climb, roam, run and explore the different scents and textures they may have encountered in the wild.
All our tiger enclosures are fitted with pools, allowing them to cool off or play whenever they choose. Non-food, or toy, enrichments are placed in the enclosures to encourage manipulation and play, while also offering new and exciting smells and activities. Boomer balls and hessian rolls infused with their preferred spices or scents are good examples of this.
Animal caretakers also place scent trails throughout the enclosures, while our creative volunteers build paper mâché ‘animals’ to stimulate the natural hunting instincts of our big cats. Enrichment can, however, be as simple as changing where an animal’s food is placed.
Claws and Curiosity
Watch as the big cats of LIONSROCK enjoy their enrichment
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Environmental Enrichments
- Social – conspecifics, except in special cases
- Species appropriate enclosures – opportunity to hide, climb, swim, shade
- Long-term, fixed structures – require resources such as manpower, machinery, money, expertise
Behavioural Enrichments
- Food enrichments
- Sensory enrichments (olfactory, visual, auditory)
- Toys/Non-food enrichments
- New food enrichments
Watching the animals interact with their enrichment is not only enjoyable for the observer but also essential for informing future improvements and ensuring the safety and well-being of our animals. This must always remain a priority, from the design of the enrichment devices to their introduction. All materials must be biodegradable, digestible and non-toxic, and should not pose any risk to the animals.
In the end, enrichment provides our animals with the opportunity to engage both mentally and physically, healthily and safely, which encourages them to behave like the big cats they were born to be, even within a captive environment.
