Animal experts and nutritionists have spiced up lunch time for a number of the carnivores living at Brookfield Zoo. A new menu item provides an excellent source of fiber, and it can be incredibly fun to play with as well.
Lions, tigers, leopards, condors, wolves, and others just love to sink their teeth into elk hides (otherwise known as elk skin). These animals chew, toss, and drag the hides, and they display all sorts of other interesting postures and expressions. Some of them even roll in the hides to mark them as their own.
Although it might sound a little unsightly, watching the animals in action is truly a fantastic experience. Guests have had the opportunity to witness natural feeding behaviors, and it's all done in the most ecofriendly way.
The hides come to the zoo from a local elk farm that also provides meat to restaurants. The people at the farm save the unprocessed hides for us, which helps to ensure that an entire elk is used. Getting the hides from the farm also allows zoo veterinarians to ensure that the hides have been tested for chronic wasting disease and are safe for our animals to eat.
Elk hide isn't on the menu all the time, though. The carnivores get a full hide or a section on special days throughout the year to sustain variety in their diet and to keep this activity novel. Sometimes zookeepers stake down a hide or attach it to a bungee cord in an exhibit. In this way, the animals get extra exercise pulling and tearing. It's good for building neck muscles, and chewing the bones and meat is healthy for their jaws and teeth.
For animals like the Mexican gray wolves, important social behaviors are also expressed when a hide is present. Members of the pack guard the food, displaying their dominance, while others vie for their share.
Keep your eyes peeled as you pass by the carnivore exhibits this summer. On some weekend days, specifically during the zoo's special events, you just might encounter a feast in action.
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