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ZooNooz Article - september 2004
On the nose
Story by Jane Mundy
Photograph Robert Dockerill
Fishicles, fruiticles and Whiskas cat food are great favourites with the binties.
The mere thought of the faeces of tapirs, zebras, elephants
and camels is enough to turn a human's stomach, but to
Taronga's Binturongs, the prospect of sniffing, tasting and
even rolling in them is sheer heaven.
There are other smells that the 'binties' are partial
to as well - spices such as ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon;
fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme, sage, basil, rosemary
and cat nip; and essential oils such as palmirosa, cypress,
lavender and myrrh.
Binturong |
Scents like these are one part of a total enrichment
program devised by Asian Division keepers for the
Binturongs and other animals in their care and evaluated by
Animal Behaviourist Margaret Hawkins. The scented items
- as well as 'toys' such as boomer balls, and a variety of
taste treats - are placed in the exhibits on a rotational, but
random, basis, so the animals never know what to expect.
This emulates the kinds of experiences they would have in
the wild - and makes each day just that bit more fun.
Fishicles, fruiticles and Whiskas cat food are great
favourites with the binties. The Kodiak Bears enjoy
pilchards; the Fennec Foxes delight in fly pupae, and the
big cats love raw meat. But they have to work for these
rewards, foraging for each morsel from feed hangers placed
at various locations in every exhibit twice a day.
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