Pinatas

As part of my internship, I work with the Encounters department to make enrichment for their animals (parrots, coati, rats, hedgehog, guinea pigs, pot bellied pigs, goats, ponies, chickens, rabbits ect). One of the things we have found most of the animals like is pinatas.

To make a pinata we blow up a balloon and dip strips (about an inch in width) of news paper into a flour and water mixture (a 50/50 mixture) and wrap the strips on the balloon. It takes at least two layers of paper strips (though I like to do 3 0r 4 depending on how much time I have) to make a sturdy pinata. Once the pinata is dry we simply pop the balloon and it easily comes out without sticking to the pinata.

The pinata can now be filled with treats, hay, or just left empty. The lorikeets and rats like to build nests in their pinatas. Hamilton, the pot bellied pig, enjoys his pinata with treats, that he can then get out by either pushing the pinata around his enclosure, or by smashing his pinata. Zoro, the coati, enjoys a pinata that has been sprayed with cologne for him to sniff around and rub on.

First Post

I will be using this blog to record enrichment ideas I have tried and/or heard of. I will also post pictures when available of the enrichment items and the consequences of them. Enjoy. :-)