Friends of the Zoo

FOTZ members worked in the Lemur enclosure.  They planted stumps, hanged a ladder and wooden poles for the Lemurs.  All of this was done to enrich the environment for the Lemurs.  Environmental enrichment is a very important aspect in the Zoo.  It prevents stereotypical behaviour of the animals and encourages natural behaviour.

 Holes were also bored into some of the stumps to enable Zoo personnel to place food inside and some of the children made pipe tubes with holes.  These tubes are filled with food and the animal has to turn and shake it to get the food out.  This keeps the animal busy and together with the holes in the stumps develops natural foraging skills.

 After a days hard work it was a pleasure to see the Lemurs exploring there new 'toys'.  This makes all of the effort the worthwhile and is very fulfilling.

On another workers day FOTZ will plant shrubs and grass in the Lemur environment to further create a natural habitat for the Lemurs.  This will also be done to enrich the animal’s environment, but also to educate visitors.