Have you ever walked through Creature Cavern and wondered about the interesting objects in the animal enclosures?

Sometimes you might see large cardboard boxes, branches, snake sheds or hanging toys where our animal residents live.

It may look like these objects do not belong in there, but in fact they do! The other Naturalists and I put these objects in with the animals to give them enrichment.

Enrichment is a way to keep animals active, thinking and exploring, just like they do in nature. It is important that our animals continue to use their natural instincts and behaviors, even though we are here to take care of them.

Opossums are known for their strong sense of smell, so we might hide our opossum’s food in a box so she can smell her meal and scavenge for it just like she would in the wild.

Groundhogs are avid chewers. To keep our groundhog happy and active, we often add large branches and logs for her to chew on and to climb on.

These are just a few enrichment opportunities that we offer our animal residents. We strive to provide optimal care for our animals, and enrichment plays a big role in that.

The next time you visit Charlotte Nature Museum, see if you can spot enrichment items in Creature Cavern and figure out how the animals interact with them!

By Shannon Jackson, Naturalist