Zoo gives animals Easter treats
Written by Jason Mack | | jmack@toledofreepress.comEaster came early at the Toledo Zoo on April 6 with an egg hunt for a variety of animals including the gorillas, orangutans and other primates.
“This is a fantastic event for the animals just like all our enrichment demos are for them,” primate zoo keeper Tiara Kitzler said. “It’s great for them to have some different treats they don’t always get. Today they got some hard-boiled eggs. It’s a great thing for us to see how they react to those and how they use those kinds of things.”
Along with hard-boiled eggs, the primates received treats such as oatmeal cookies and sugar-free Jello eggs hidden around their habitats and placed in papier-mache egg baskets.
“They got to carry them around just like kids would carry around little baskets,” Kitzler said. “They absolutely love it. The baskets are fun for them because they can pick through them all day long. They’ll play with the baskets. Sometime the little ones put the baskets on their head. It makes their lives a lot more happy and a lot more fun.”
Other animals receiving treats on Good Friday included tigers, tortoises, polar bears, wolves, meerkats, vultures and rhinoceros hornbills.
The next animal enrichment event is April 28 when the zoo celebrates Louie the elephant’s ninth birthday. Louie will receive presents at 10:30 a.m. and a birthday cake at 1:30 p.m.
Tags: Animal egg hunt, animal enrichment, Easter, Jason Mack, Tiara Kitzler, Toledo Zoo
