Biologists continue their experiments at Barnaul Zoo
Faculty of Biology students have pleasantly surprised the predators living in Barnaul Zoo by enlivening their habitation site. On the Christmas holidays they made the big cats happy by presenting fir trees, which had already gone out of service, thus giving these trees a second life.
“Environmental enrichment, which had been conducted by our students and us, was oriented to improve the life of captive animals. Adding firs and pines to animals’ cages is a global practice, which is now being realized in Barnaul Zoo. Amur tigers, amur leopards, pumas, lynxes, jungle cats, leopard cats, wolves and foxes have taken part in our experiments. Firs mostly attracted interest of tigers, lynxes, wolves and arctic foxes,” says Candidate of Biology, Assistant Professor of the Department of Zoology and Physiology of Altai State University Tatiana V. Antonenko.
Environmental enrichment is a widespread practice used by all world’s zoos. Thus, in London Zoo the out-of-service fir trees are put to tigers’ cages, in Cincinnati Zoo the lion was very surprised at finding a fir in his cage.
“The work conducted by ASU scientists is not only academically relevant. These experiments can diversify our animals’ life, and they are also entertaining. Moreover, visitors can watch what is happening and get additional information on species' biology from the specialists,” comments on the completed work director of Barnaul Zoo Sergey V. Pisarev.
