Halloween treats for safari park animals

Safari park bosses are marking Halloween with some season treats for animals.

As part of West Midland Safari Park’s month-long Spooky Spectacular festival which started on 1 October, over 1,700 pumpkins were ordered to help theme the Park’s Discovery Trail,

African Village and Adventure Theme Park. Any surplus pumpkins are donated to the Wildlife team, who use them as part of the animals’ important enrichment programme — and prove to be very popular indeed.Once a pumpkin has been hollowed out, it can be filled with an animal’s favourite food, whether it be fish for the penguins, insects for the meerkats, or meat for the lions.

Enrichment is used to instigate natural behaviours, such as foraging, investigating, burrowing and play.