<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-825" title="enrichment_options" src="http://aecetia.net/gws/aazk/wp-content/uploads/enrichment_options-300x117.jpg" alt="enrichment_options" width="300" height="117" /><strong><em>EO Editors -
Julie Hartell-DeNardo, Saint Louis, MO and Ric Kotarsky, Tulsa Zoo &amp; Living Museum</em></strong>

Since you will probably determine it somewhere down the paragraph, let me start this paper with sharing the simple fact that grammar has never been my strength.  So, while I’ll be discussing my perspective on the word “enrichment” and its applications in a zoological setting relative to treating it as a noun or a verb, the discussion is more about how we use the word relative to our goals and to the effects (or is it affects?) it has on the animals we care for and less to do with actual grammar.  Therefore please forgive any of my unintentional grammatical errors (or intentional grammar humor) while I try to use a grammatical analogy to describe an important way of thinking about this valuable behavioral husbandry technique.  The core question being:  Did that enrichment item (noun) actually enrich (verb) the animal(s) to which it was given?  I would argue that if the affect or consequence isn’t there, then the usage of the word “enrichment” as a noun isn’t accurate.

“Did you give the animals enrichment today”, “They got X for enrichment yesterday”, “X is species Y’s favorite enrichment”, “He didn’t like his enrichment today”, …

While we use many diverse items, objects or supplies for providing enrichment opportunities to the animals we care for, it is the actual consequence of those tools wherein the real power of enrichment as a behavioral husbandry technique lies.  It’s less about what tangible items we gave and more about what we provided (opportunities, choice, control, variety, novelty…) or changed (behavior patterns, activity budgets, social interaction, behavioral repertoire, stereotypies,…).  So rather than thinking about what enrichment (noun) you’ll give to an animal, think about how you will enrich (verb) that animal.

<strong>Enrichment </strong>

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1891" title="palm_browse1" src="http://aecetia.net/gws/aazk/wp-content/uploads/palm_browse1.jpg" alt="palm_browse1" width="699" height="514" />

<em>Hung palm browse</em>

<strong>Enriching</strong>

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1892" title="zebra_palm" src="http://aecetia.net/gws/aazk/wp-content/uploads/zebra_palm-1024x814.jpg" alt="zebra_palm" width="819" height="651" />

<em>Zebra grazing under palm browse; walked under it and nibbled on it, took longer to consume daily hay ration and increased activity.</em>

What behavioral opportunity or changes will result from the application of an enrichment strategy chosen by a keeper knowledgeable in the individual animal’s history, the species’ natural history and the nuances of the exhibit or holding space?  Some types of enrichment naturally lead themselves to this mode of thinking.  For example, different feeding strategies such as spreads or scatters – the food (noun) is typically consistent for specific animals, but the presentation method of randomly tossing or strategically placing individual food items throughout a habitat can make that same food enriching and promote a change in behavior patterns, increase activity, promote exploration, facilitate interactions and so much more.

This is not meant to take away from those great, creative and fun enrichment objects (nouns) that we all enjoy watching animals interact with, explore and sometimes destroy (all verbs by the way).  If they are promoting changes in behaviors, creating opportunity for new behaviors, providing novelty or variety, or providing opportunities for choice and/or control in the animals’ environment, then they are enriching.  Of course, we should always keep in mind that not all of these responses and affects are going to be large grandiose displays, nor should they be.  Enriching an animal can be very subtle &amp; hard to detect by even the keenest keepers eye.   And sometimes…………
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