IdeaBox
Animals in captivity don't have to hunt, forage, escape danger, find shelter or search for a mate. But this means it is imperative for caretakers to provide enough stimulation and opportunities to work for food, to fill the animal's day.
Many experts agree that an effective enrichment program is one of the most important factors contributing to good welfare.
EFFECTIVe ENRICHMENT?
The above video shows some artificial plants that have small fish tightly hidden inside. This group of dolphins has even developed a foraging method to get the fish- by beating their tails to waft the fish out. A brilliant example of stimulating enrichment from Kolmårdens Djurpark!
However, if you've worked with animals in captivity, you'll know that providing stimulating enrichment isn't a simple task. Enrichment items and devices need to be safe, variable, novel at times, and tailored to the individual animals. And ideally records should be taken on the animals' engagement so you can evaluate how successful the item was!
Now submerge yourself into a dolphin or pinniped's world, and the above tasks have become even harder. What with all the other duties that caretakers have to complete on a daily basis, it can be really hard to find the time to think about, source materials for and build enrichment items.
Enter IdeaBox!
What is IdeaBox?
AWE's IdeaBox is a catalogue of stimulating enrichment ideas for cetaceans and pinnipeds, with accompanying details on how to source, design and build them.
DOES IT INCLUDE ALL ENRICHMENT?
Only innovative and composite items are called for in AWE's IdeaBox. Therefore, while we certainly understand balls and hoops can be enriching for marine mammals, we're only looking for devices that are more complex e.g. several items joined together to elicit cognitive challenges, or devices leading to multi-step behaviours. We believe these are the ideas that need sharing!
Open Access
The catalogue is free of charge - all you have to do is sign up as a free member. This also means that if you submit an enrichment idea and its details, you should be aware that any media and information you have given may be shared.
How to Submit an idea
Submitting an idea is easy! Fill out the submission form below and send it back to us (email address on the form), then wait for approval. This is to check that nobody has already submitted the idea, and that there is enough evidence to show the item proposed can be made and used by the animals in the described fashion. Once your idea has been added and the collection has been updated our end, we'll send you the catalogue!
Click here to download a PDF with more information on the IdeaBox project, including examples of enrichment we're looking for.
Click here to download the IdeaBox item submission form!
ENOUGH TALK... WANT TO SEE THE CATALOGUE?
The catalogue is open access and we welcome anyone and everyone to have a look (download PDF below).
To view the videos and extra details for each item, you will need to register as a Member, and membership is free! Sign up using the box below.
Since the IdeaBox will be updated regularly with new ideas, we'll be sending out a notification every time a new item is added.
Once you've registered, click the link below to access the IdeaBox catalogue on the website or as a PDF!