This week, Modern Zookeeper travels east from the Lake Superior Zoo, to New York City to the Bronx Zoo. In three months and five days, the zoo will celebrate its 108 year anniversary, so what better time to feature its many exciting animals?
The Bronx Zoo features a famous gorilla exhibit, rare tropical birds, and several educational sessions. You can feed sea lions or penguins and watch a "Tiger Enrichment Session" wherein zookeepers offer tigers different items to "explore" in a trust-building session.
Examples of items offered to the great cats include "a treat spinner high up in a tree, a deer hide dangling from the end of a fishing pole, or a big barrel to pounce on." We here at MZ aren't sure how a deer hide dangling from a fishing pole builds trust, as the tigers must be frustrated when everytime they jump for the hide, the devious zookeepers pull it just out of their grasp. Like feline Charlie Browns trying to kick the football before it is pulled from their foot's path, the tigers may become frustrated by this "enrichment" exercise.
As an aside, Siberian Tigers are the largest tiger species. Like Helen Keller, they are born blind, but quickly develop excellent vision. In the wild they feast on deer species and wild boar rather than spinning treats and sugar-coated cereals they enjoy in captivity.
Besides the tigers, if you visit the Bronx Zoo, MZ recommends the World of Darkness exhibit featuring bats, sloths and the douroucouli, the world's only noctural monkey. A native of Central and South America, these spooky primates are known for their big eyes, shrill forest cries and lack color vision, which offers little benefit at night.
Stay tuned as the Modern Zookeeper caravan travels on, perhaps to a zoo located near zoo.
1 comment:
The World of Darkness exhibit takes on an interesting metaphorical angle, sources say, if you've recently been dumped by your lover or lost your ability to see.
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