At Cameron Park Zoo, enrichment is an important part of the care and husbandry programs provided for each species housed at our facility. Enrichment programs play an important role in the physical and psychological well being of the animals. What may look to you like trash or toys in an animal habitat is actually an enrichment activity (or the remains of one) that the animals were given to stimulate their bodies and minds.
The Cameron Park Zoo has an enrichment committee to organize the daily enrichment program, raise money, and communicate with other zoo enrichment committees. An enrichment log is kept for each animal to document how well an enrichment activity is received. All new enrichment items and activities are approved by the Animal Care & Use Committee.
The keepers and visitors at Cameron Park Zoo agree that observing the animals enjoy the various enrichment activities is equally enriching for the human species!
You can help the CPZ Enrichment Committee in several ways:
- Check the list below and donate items to the zoo for the animal’s enjoyment. (new or slightly used)
- Check out the Cameron Park Zoo wish list on Amazon.com and purchase enrichment items to be sent directly to the zoo.
- Donate to our Enrichment Fund.
Wish List:
- TV
- Small plastic playsets
- Tropical Plants (Herpetarium)
- Food Dehydrator
- Ice Cube Maker/ Machine
- Plastic lawn chairs
- Liquid Light Projector
- 10” and bigger hard plastic balls: Boomer Balls, Jolly Balls or Best Balls
- 30” Planet Ball from Boomer Ball
- Hamster balls
- Kong Extreme (the black ones, they are the most durable)
- Ipad
- Blankets
- Intact plastic playground set for gibbon/lemur
- Plastic chairs
- Jolly balls/Boomer Balls/Bowling Balls
- Vinyl shower curtains
- Socks
- Baby mirrors
- Giant refrigerator, washer/dryer, or other appliance boxes
- Giant blue barrels
- Plastic Baby swings that would be found in a playground
- Ball Pit Balls
- Windshield Wipers
- Planter Baskets
- Radios
- Spices/herbs, natural oils or extracts, food-coloring (must be unopened)
- Body sprays/perfumes/colognes (can be old or used)
- Magazines
- Phonebooks
- Rubbermaid or storage containers
- Buckets
- Tennis balls
- Frisbees
- Wiffle balls
- Catnip
- Paper sacs
- Bells
- Mirrors
- PVC pipes (clean)
- Small or travel size spray bottles (clean)
- Milk crates
- Zip-ties
- Flat sheets, blankets, and towels
- Unopened food items such as jello, kool-aid, nuts, flour, rice, sugar-free jelly, peanut-butter, honey, cereal, sugar-free applesauce, pop-corn, pasta, condiments
- Wind-chimes
- Disco balls
