Sedgwick County Zoo's black bears enjoy a game of 'Where's the food?'
Nov 13, 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) -- Some people may think zoo animals have nothing to do all day except wait for food to be delivered. However, the Sedgwick County Zoo likes to devise ways to enrich the animals' lives.
On Tuesday, zookeepers hid snacks inside pumpkins so the zoo's two young black bears had a challenge getting to the food.
The 9-month-old bears that were orphaned in Oregon arrived in Wichita this summer.
Hiding food in a pumpkin is part of an effort to keep the bears searching for food to mimic a bear's life in the wild.
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"We try to do enrichment for them every single day to stimulate them and have them do different challenges to keep them occupied with their time and not just give them food but make them work for it to keep them active," Brian Helten, zookeeper, said.
The keepers also hide items on the bears' climbing structures to keep the cubs curious and active.