IdeaBox CATALOGUE
Cetaceans & Pinnipeds
Designed by ISabella Clegg, Monika Minikin & RHIANNON SCHULTZ
Welcome to the IdeaBox Enrichment Catalogue. Thanks to facilities all around the world sharing their ideas, we've been able to put together a diverse list of environmental enrichment ideas for anyone to use!
We'll be updating this catalogue frequently as new ideas are submitted, so be sure to check back here regularly or sign up to notifications at the bottom of the IdeaBox home page.
A VARIABLE enrichment PROGRAM
The premise of IdeaBox is to catalogue complex and innovative environmental enrichment items, so if you're developing a program keep in mind that there are many 'simple' enrichment ideas not listed here that are also stimulating and effective.
Enrichment is anything that increases the quality or value of the environment to the animals- but how do we know what devices achieve these goals?
Always start by asking: what behaviours do we want to stimulate? For wild animals in captivity, you can use the enrichment wheel below to consider what the animal experiences in the wild in each of the categories, and think about how you can stimulate the same behaviours in captivity. However, you don’t have to just stick to wild behaviours: think outside the box about how to challenge the animals, whilst giving them choice and control over their environment.
Browse the Catalogue
Food/Foraging
Food/Foraging
Food/Foraging
Physical Habitat
Physical Habitat
Physical Habitat
Physical Habitat
Sensory
Sensory
Sensory
Sensory
Sensory
Social
Social
How We Categorize Enrichment
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Categorisation of Environmental Enrichment Devices
image adapted from The Shape of Enrichment Inc and ZooSnippets
From facilitating natural hunting and problem-solving to promoting affiliative behaviour and environmental engagement, our Food/Foraging, Cognitive, Sensory, Social, and Physical Habitat Enrichment categories collectively advance the welfare and meet the diverse needs of cetaceans and pinnipeds.
Our Food/Foraging Enrichment challenges encourage natural hunting behaviours, allowing animals to secure fish at their leisure while enjoying choice and control.
Our Cognitive Enrichment items stimulate problem-solving skills, reflecting the animals’ flexible diets and complex social lives, while our Sensory Enrichment pieces engage their keen senses through interactive activities.
The Social Enrichment devices promote affiliative behaviours and the Physical Habitat Enrichment items add variety and complexity to aquatic environments by mimicking natural settings.
Explore our catalogue below or download the PDF.
Do you have an enrichment idea that should be on this list? Please contact us and we can work with you to develop and submit your idea!
Disclaimer
Neither Animal Welfare Expertise nor those submitting the IdeaBox ideas are liable for any type of damages incurred by IdeaBox users as a result of making or using IdeaBox items: all responsibility rests with the user.