Enriching the Lives of Our Captive Cranes
Remember to eat your vegetables!
Meet Razz-a-ma-tazz, a Brolga, who is enjoying an enrichment activity – fresh salad greens – offered by our aviculture staff at the International Crane Foundation. Enrichment is an important component of caring for our captive flock. Providing enrichment gives the birds opportunities to explore new things in their environment, allows them to make choices, and can promote natural behaviors; all of which benefit their psychological wellbeing. Often enrichment will incorporate food items the cranes don’t get in their regular diet.
The International Crane Foundation has been fortunate to receive produce donations from ALDI groceries in Baraboo, WI for the past several years. The weekly and seasonal variation of available produce helps keep food items novel for the cranes. Sometimes the cranes love to eat these treats, and other times they seem to enjoy making a mess of them!
Story submitted by Allyce Vogel, International Crane Foundation Aviculturist.