o why do zoos invest so much time and money into creating enriched environments instead of keeping the plain barred cages of the past? To put it simply, environmental enrichment is beneficial for the animals. Not only that, but it is beneficial to zoo visitors as well.

An Oryx Group grazing at Cotswold Wildlife Park

When animals are kept in plain cages they often stop exhibiting their natural behaviors such as breeding, hunting/foraging, grooming, etc. Instead, they begin to display abnormal behaviors such as pacing, head-bobbing, feces eating, and self-mutilation. Enriching their environment gives them opportunities to behave naturally so they won't exhibit the abnormal behaviors.

Because so many species are now endangered, zoos can not import animals from the wild for their exhibits. Instead they are undergoing a massive breeding program in hopes of not only keeping their exhibits stocked, but perhaps even repopulating the wild! When animals are placed in exhibits that resemble their native lands they breed more often and the young are surviving much better than in the past.

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Zoo visitors benefit from environmental enrichment as well. Being able to watch animals in their natural habitats, exhibiting their natural behaviors, is much more educational and entertaining than watching an animal sit in a cage. In turn the visitors often care more deeply for the animals and become more involved in trying to save them and their habitats.