hi there

A

Ann in Panama

New Member
hi, I'm new to this forum.
I'm Ann, and I've moved to Panama from the UK, via 7 years in Florida. I worked at London Zoo for 10 years 1984 - 1994, and have worked with exotic animals for around 20 years.
I'm now retired, but start volunteering at Nispero Zoo in El Valle de Anton in Panama next week, with a focus on animal enrichments. Can't wait!
I'm already collecting household items to re-use, but invite any ideas for parrot enrichment in particular, as I'll be starting with their enclosures (some of the oldest in the zoo I think).
 
Hello Ann, Welcome to Zoochat and what a wonderful career you have had. First professionals as a zoo keeper at London Zoo. Now in Panama, you must be blessed with tropical environment and a different way of life and vibes.

Have you already managed to get some info on Parrot enrichment and Psittacine nutrition? Be interested what your project is and how we may help you at El Nispero Zoo.

I remember the zoo has an animal species I am particularly interested in too .... Baird's tapirs....
 
Hi Kifaru
yes, they currently have 3 tapirs there, I assume adults and an offspring. I haven't worked with them as yet.
I'm having fun with the enrichments - the parrots are a little wary of anything new in their enclosures, but enjoy sunflowers hidden in paperbags & folded cardboard tubes. One of the cockatoos has figured out a "Jenga" style feeder - a bamboo tube with wooden skewers that need to be removed to collect food from inside.
We gave the jaguars a scratching post that they have now scratched all the bark from, so needs to be replaced.
Scatter feeds work well with a range of animals, especially with dried pellet food for the coyotes, it helps to stop the pacing, at least temporarily. I've used sunflower seeds as well as cat pellet food for scatter feeds, dependent on the animal. Also food hidden in cardboard & paper containers, and sunflowers stuffed into pine cones. The capuchin monkeys are in a small enclosure and always get excited when they see me - they are extremely intelligent and enjoy the challenges!
My main challenge is to encourage the keepers to leave fallen leaves etc in the enclosures rather than raking them clean, as it provides foraging opportunities.
The keepers obviously care deeply for their charges, and are interested in the enrichments I set up, but my Spanish needs to improve to embed the changes that would benefit the animals.
I'm hoping to source some mealworms soon to start a breeding colony, as at the moment staff spend an hour + combing the wild areas around the zoo to catch crickets for feeding, which is too time consuming to be done regularly.
There have been a couple wild animal donations brought in while I've been working - a young abandoned sloth, and an injured porcupine, both of which are doing well in their new home. The porcupine was new to them so I was able to help out with enclosure & feeding advice.
 
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