Photo: Mehgan Murphy, Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park
While the animals in the Small Mammal House may not understand the concept of St. Patrick’s Day, they do enjoy enrichment. Many of the animals, such as the Prevost’s squirrel, anxiously watched while their enclosure was decorated and special treats were distributed. For them, there is excitement in novelty, and the Zoo’s keeper staff use holidays as a perfect opportunity to entertain visitors while providing enrichment for the animals. The Prevost’s squirrel investigated the paintings on the outside of his enclosure and played with several novelty items placed inside his exhibit.
