6 minute read
Bringing the Vision to Life
BRINGING THE VISION TO LIFE: A NEW HABITAT FULL OF OPPORTUNITIES
By RoxAnna Breitigan, Director of Animal Care
Rhino Habitat Rendering featuring Waterhole
The new Rhino Savanna, set to open November 12, was designed with a vision full of innovation and creativity for both the animals and the guests. Two years of design went into the development and planning of the habitat with the goal of creating dynamic and engaging experiences for all who encounter it, no matter the species. Traditionally in zoos, each animal species has their own habitat space. The new Rhino Savanna will not look like those traditional zoo habitats, rather it will provide a fully immersive experience giving guests and animals a snippet of what life might look like in nature. Several species will share the same habitat space creating a bio-community where plant and animal species coexist in a realistic and naturalistic environment. This practice is what we refer to as multi-species habitat management.
Multi-species shared habitats are not new and can be found throughout The Living Desert; however, it is rarely done with black rhino. Black rhino are known to be more solitary; although on the African savannas, there are plenty of other animals around that they will encounter as well as their own kind. In designing this new habitat, the team at The Living Desert felt strongly that we wanted to create an entire ecosystem, rather than just highlight one piece. So, we set out to move towards a multi-species habitat management technique throughout the Rhino Savanna.
Dynamic Ecosystems
Although designing these habitats is a bit more complicated, it provides a much clearer picture of how these animals might be seen in nature, while also providing the animals more dynamic and stimulating opportunities throughout their day. The Living Desert has successfully utilized this technique in other habitats at the zoo. For example, residing in the African grasslands multi-species habitat are addra gazelle, slender horned gazelle, yellow-billed stork, cinereous vultures, and a sulcatta tortoise. Each species interacts with each other, finds their favorite spots, and shares a common space. You will often see Gabe, the sulcatta tortoise, taking a soak in the pond at the same time the storks are wading. This management style provides many opportunities for the animals to have a variety of experiences throughout the day. The animal care team is continuously challenging ourselves to create this style of habitat which allows the animals to utilize cognitive skills to navigate choices throughout their day, whether it be finding food, locating a cooling spot, or interacting with another animal.
The Rhino Savanna’s design needed to include a variety of specialized areas based on the different species’ needs. All animals have basic needs, but each species requires those needs be met in different ways. For example, black rhino are browsers and will spend some of their day looking for trees and shrubs to pull leaves from with their prehensile lip. Comparatively, the much smaller klipspringer lives life on the rocks, quite literally, and will look for fallen leaves, fruit, and blossoms to eat. Every individual needs water so the ponds will not only be nice to take a drink, but will also provide them opportunities to cool off. While the pelicans will most likely spend much of their time in the water, the waterbuck may also be seen lounging around the banks.
The design also needed to include exclusive spaces for each species to retreat from others if they feel the need. As you look out over the savanna, you will notice changes in the topography, different types of vegetation, and deliberately placed boulders and logs. These are
When the big day arrives, each animal will be slowly and carefully introduced to the habitat and each other under the watchful eye of the animal care team.
Habitat waterhole provides a variety of experiences, as each animal will use the feature in different ways.
Future Rhino Encounter
some of the ways we have created zones within the savannas that will allow the animals to move about and each find their favorite and most comfortable spots. Guests may notice some of these features as they meander along the boardwalk, while other hidden features will also provide a variety of experience for the animals. This multi-species habitat design allows the guests to feel immersed in a slice of the animals’ lives, making it that no two visits are alike with so many different happenings and opportunities throughout the day. Also included are opportunities for the animal care team to change things continuously for the animals. There are strategically placed feeding devices built into the rock-work or tucked into spots that will allow keepers to set timers for the arrival of food. The animal care team will be able to place an entire tree that can be eaten, a scratching post or sparring partner for the animals, or hang browse (tree branches) from a wobble tree that will move with the wind or the strength of a rhino leaning on it. This will encourage the animals to be on the move throughout their day to browse and forage, as they might in the wild. It allows the animal care keepers to create surprises and spontaneity for the animals and decrease the expectation and assumption of where their meals will come from. By doing so, the animal care team can provide a variety of choices that the animals can make throughout their day allowing them to utilize their cognitive skills in different ways.
While we built this habitat with the thought in mind that the animals will be able to interact with each other every day and be provided a lot of opportunities without a lot of direct interaction with the keepers, we also have built in areas where they can build on the relationship needed to train them. This positive reinforcement training helps the animal care team provide optimal husbandry and veterinary care as needed. There are three barns nestled behind the scenes where animals can retreat to if needed for inclement weather or habitat maintenance, but there will also be plenty of opportunities for guests to see the keepers interact too. The animals on the savanna will continue to have excellent care from the animal care and veterinary care teams who consistently work together to provide the best life for each species. With each visit, guests may have the opportunity to see this invaluable work being done at specially designed spots throughout the habitat. Each day will be new and fresh for both the animals and guests creating the best day ever for all.
Guests will get a behind the scenes look at the animal meals being prepared daily and what it takes for a keeper to care for the animals at the new Chaiken Family Animal Care and Nutrition Center, located in the Rhino Savanna. There is a myth that all zookeepers do is scoop poop and that could not be farther from the truth. These animal care professionals are highly educated and committed to providing a high quality of life for the animals in their care. They are highly skilled and trained in animal behavior, observations, and natural history. Guests may be able to see keepers plot the course for their day, research natural behaviors, or log daily activity movements for each species in their care. Every day the zoo feeds almost 160 species and about 600 individuals, each having unique nutritional needs that need to be met. The animal care team carefully calculates caloric needs, nutritional values, and weights so each animal is provided well-rounded, nutritionally complete meals. The new Chaiken Family Animal Care and Nutrition Center will provide the animal care team a state-of-the-art kitchen, storage, and work space.
Every day The Living Desert feeds about 760 pounds of food to all of the animals!
This includes meat, rodents, and fish for the carnivores; produce, hay, browse, and grain for the herbivores; and all of the above for the omnivores.
Fresh Produce Preparing Daily Meals
