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Animal Enrichment

At the Zoo of Acadiana, we aim to maintain and improve upon the highest standards of animal care and welfare, where animals are healthy and active and exhibit a wide diversity of behaviors.  Animal enrichment is “the process of providing stimulating environments for zoo animals in order for them to demonstrate their species-typical behavior, to allow them to exercise control or choice over their environment, and to enhance their well-being." In other words, enrichment improves animals’ lives by encouraging them to interact with and investigate their environments.

Enrichment includes natural exhibit design, stimulating environments, and the introduction of items, smells, sounds, or other stimuli in the animals’ habitats.

We incorporate enrichment through a number of venues, including structural changes, food items, objects, smells, and more.  Ideally, our enrichment projects present our animals with opportunities to forage and handle food in natural ways.  It allows animals to utilize their species-typical behavior.

We have taken it all an additional step further by involving our guests in the experience through our Keeper Talk program.  Anyone can contribute to our enrichment efforts by adopting an animal.

Enrichment Project Photos:
Click through our photo gallery to see some of the enrichment projects we have conducted.




Ring-tailed Lemurs explore food enrichment.A Red-ruffed Lemur explores food enrichment.A White-handed Lar Gibbon gets some food enrichment.A White-handed Lar Gibbon gets some food enrichment.Our interactive Lory Landing Habitat is not only fun for our guests, but is stimulating for the Lories and Lorikeets, too!Sooty Mangabeys investigate a toy.A Sooty Mangabey licks food from a toy.An Eastern Black and White Colobus Monkey investigates a puzzle feeder.An Eastern Black and White Colobus Monkey investigates a puzzle feeder.An Eastern Black and White Colobus Monkey investigates a puzzle feeder.A Ring-tailed Lemur gets a tasty treat from a decorated egg.A Ring-tailed Lemur gets a tasty treat from a decorated egg.A Ring-tailed Lemur gets a tasty treat from a decorated egg.A White Cockatoo investigates a container before bubbles are blown in the exhibit.A White Cockatoo investigates a container before bubbles are blown in the exhibit.A Rhesus Macaque explores a puzzle feeder.A Black and White Ruffed Lemur explores a puzzle feeder.A Common Marmoset searches for food in a toy.A Common Marmoset searches for food in a toy.Mary, an African Lioness, tears apart a furniture box that is stuffed with hay and meatballs. Willie and Mary, the African Lions, tear apart a furniture box that is stuffed with hay and meatballs. Mary, an African Lioness, tears apart a furniture box that is stuffed with hay and meatballs.