More Halloween Fun!
Posted at 5:43 pm November 1, 2005 by Marcia Redding
When we received our quota of pumpkins this year, we knew it was time to get out the cameras. Most of the animals in the Wild Animal Park's Heart of Africa enjoy them, and this Halloween was no exception!
Only one of the okapis participated this year - the others all had better things to do! Makini, however, discovered that a long tongue inserted into the fruit snagged some tasty seeds and pumpkin pulp. Her son, Melaku, was curious at first, but then lost interest - so Makini had the treat all to herself. When she was through with it, only the outer shell was left!
The warthogs, Jasiri and Tufani, were very excited to see their treat. We had stuffed the pumpkins with bits of carrot and yam. The girls had a great time rolling them around. Eventually they demolished them to get to the tasty insides. A good time was had by all!
The colobus monkeys (pictured) were also eager participants this year. Their pumpkin was filled with yam and carrot bits as well. They wasted no time, and set to work immediately. They did not eat much of the pumpkin itself, but had a great time pulling the treats out.
All in all, a nice break from the routine, for animals and keepers both!
Marcia Redding is a senior mammal keeper at the Wild Animal Park.
View video of lions and vultures with their pumpkin treats.
Read another Weblog about Halloween fun in The Zoo Journal.
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November 2nd, 2005 at 12:15 pm
Marcia, I am a dedicated Panda Cam watcher but recently have found myself looking at the Zoo's other animals too. I read your story with interest and loved the thought that you gave the animals pumpkins! As a true animal lover, I really get a nice feeling knowing that all the animals at SDZ are treated well and with respect to their natural habitats. Thanks for your blog. Have a nice day. Vanessa in Virginia
November 2nd, 2005 at 3:46 pm
Thank you very much for your kind comments, Vanessa. We do pumpkins every year, and we keepers enjoy it just as much as the animals. The daily work can be hard, but things like enrichment make it worth the effort. It's a great feeling knowing you've brightened an animal's day.