THANKSGIVING FEAST WITH THE BEAST-- ANIMALS TO "GOBBLE" TREATS!

Posted On Wednesday, November 18, 2009


(Salt Lake City, UT)-- Animals at Utah's Hogle Zoo will celebrate Thanksgiving this year for Feast with the Beasts, Thursday November 26, 2009 from 9 am to noon. Visitors can see many Zoo animals from black bears to tigers tearing into tasty meals, showing their pilgrim's pride. This is baby elephant Zuri's first Thanksgiving, visit her while she gets heaping helpings of pumpkin squash surprises!  
 
Thanksgiving is a special time to offer the animals some extra treats that also serve as enrichment, which keeps animals mentally stimulated and encourages natural hunting and foraging behaviors. Enrichment can be anything from meat hidden inside a turkey-shaped pinata to a layered pumpkin "pie," as long as it promotes the animals' expression of natural behavior.  
 
According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, enrichment is an essential part of keeping animals mentally healthy by providing them something new each day. In fact, Hogle Zoo is known around the country for its outstanding efforts in animal enrichment. "Hogle Zoo is on the cutting edge of behavioral development in zoos by being one of the first organizations to establish a standard for animal enrichment," says Dawn Neptune, Behavioral Programs Coordinator. "It all looks like playtime, but things as simple as a ball one day and a cardboard tube the next all improve the welfare of our animals." In 2005, Dawn also won for Hogle Zoo the first-ever National Enrichment Award, given by the American Association of Zoo Keepers.  
 
This Thanksgiving, get the turkey into the oven then get out of the kitchen for Feast with the Beasts at Hogle Zoo. Visit Hogle Zoo online at www.hoglezoo.org or for more information, contact Community Relations Coordinator Holly Braithwaite by email at hbraithwaite@hoglezoo.org or call (801) 584-1729.  
 
About the Association of Zoos & Aquariums: Utah's Hogle Zoo is one of only 221 institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA).  Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information visit www.aza.org.  
 
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