Friends of the Zoo Enrichment Program

Heather Riveria

A black and white guinea pig named Yams settles in my arms. I stroke his soft fur, feed him a slice of carrot, and smile at my tiny friend. Yams is one of the four guinea pigs at the petting zoo. I’ve been a volunteer in the animal enrichment program for one year and have become attached to the animals I interact with.

I’m usually at the zoo on Wednesdays where I meet with the other volunteers at the “barn”. The volunteers, donned in their turquoise shirts, have a variety of duties like cleaning out the habitats, exercising the goats and pigs, grooming the mini horses, and interacting with the rabbits and guinea pigs. We donate our time on Wednesdays, Saturdays, or both.

Left: Heather and her friend, Yams.  Right: Barbara, Animal Enrichment Coordinator

Barbara Thomason is the coordinator of the animal enrichment program. She’s been a volunteer for fifteen years. She is also on the Friends of the Zoo board. I met her one afternoon as my husband and I wandered through the lush zoo. After speaking with her, I decided to volunteer. Barbara was patient with me as she explained the program and our responsibilities.

Some of our Duties

Jean, another volunteer, works with me on Wednesdays. She’s been donating her time for seven years. Jean says,” As part of the team, we work with the petting zoo and hoofed animals, such as guinea pigs, rabbits, mini pigs, Nigerian dwarf goats, a hair sheep, Miniature Zebu, miniature horses, and a miniature donkey. We let them out of their habitat to graze on grass. Sometimes the sheep and rabbits need special attention like a good brushing. I also work with our Hyacinth Macaw once a week, I remove him from his habitat and provide treats and take him for a walk around the zoo.  Jean is a great resource. She passed on this advice: “Volunteers should expect to get a little dirty at times. For safety, we wear enclosed shoes. We must be flexible and be willing to do different tasks.” Barbara adds, “We provide many other things including habitat improvement, toys, and special food to all the zoo animals.”

Another great resource is Dola. She told me, “I have been part of the animal enrichment program for the last six years. On Wednesdays, I clean Bling’s pool. Bling is an emu. Bling loves to play and eat the grass where her pool was sitting while I clean it out. I’ve been working with Bling since she was hatched five years ago. After cleaning out the pool and replacing it with fresh water, Bling and I go up to the front of her habitat and talk to the guests for a while. They take photos of her and ask questions about emus. Then I give her some of her favorite treats, usually peas but sometimes also grapes.”

Arla has been donating her time for nine years. She shared a little about her duties: “When we work with the miniature horses and the miniature donkey, we follow the same routine each time. First, we put on their halters and tie them up so that they stand still. Then, we groom their coats with brushes. The equines really enjoy their grooming. In addition to cleaning their coats, we also pick out the animals’ feet with a hoof pick, to keep their feet healthy. It’s important to do all this every week, so we can notice if something needs attending to. After grooming, each animal gets to graze outside of their pasture while being held on the lead rope. They can graze wherever they like.”  Arla passed on this tip, “There are some skills that you need to know in order to work with horses, like where to stand (not directly behind them), and how to read a horse’s body language. Even though they are tiny, they are still horses. So, it’s good to have someone teach you how to spend time with the equines. Then you, and them, will have a lovely, enriching time.”

Next, I spoke with Faith. She’s been a volunteer for twenty years. She works with Jellybean. Jellybean is a Zebu steer. “Jellybean received his nickname because he was born on Easter Day,” Faith told me. “Jelly enjoys walks and because he is halter trained, can leave his pen and stroll with a handler on enrichment Wednesdays’. He loves being brushed from nose to tail and will happily allow grooming until the groomer’s arms give out.”

Faith shared some additional facts about Jellybean. “Carrots, bananas and celery are some of his favorite treats along with ti leaves.” She warns to feed Jellybean the leaves and celery before offering fruit. “He turns his nose up to vegetables if he knows fruit is available.”

A Few Favorites

My favorite petting zoo animals are the guinea pigs. They are sweet and make the cutest noises. When I first started workingwith them, they weren’t used to being handled because the petting zoo was closed for a while due to the pandemic. We all took turns cuddling and handling the guinea pigs until they were used to human interaction. Now, they are doing great when meeting the children on Saturdays during petting zoo hours. I asked some of the volunteers to tell me their favorites. Jean says, “All the animals are special, but my favorite petting zoo animal is Cookie, the hair sheep. Rowdy, the macaw is my overall favorite. He has such a personality and loves to cuddle.” Dola shared, “On Tuesday and Thursday I take out Romeo the Moluccan cockatoo for his enrichment days where we walk around the zoo and talk to the guests. Sometimes he rides his skateboard around. He receives a lot of T.L.C. and his treat is usually oatmeal. He also gets a lot of wood which he likes to chew up. This is really a good thing, since it helps to keep his beak in shape. Working with these birds is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Interested in Volunteering?

I discovered that volunteering at this beautiful zoo is an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. Some days, I like to come a little early and visit the tigers, sloths, and the alligator. Not only do I enjoy interacting with the petting zoo animals, but I get to work side by side with the other volunteers—all of us sharing a common interest, a love for animals.

If volunteering in the animal enrichment program sounds like something you would be interested in, please contact: Barbara at volunteer@hilozoo.org

More information can also be found on the zoo’s website at hilozoo.org