Zookeepers use food to improve the lives of animals in several ways:
1, Enrichment
2, Carcass feeding
3, Scatter feeding
4, Food presentation
Zookeepers use food to stimulate animals' natural behaviors and provide mental and physical stimulation. For example, zookeepers can hide food in puzzle feeders or scatter it in an enclosure to encourage animals to forage and engage in problem-solving activities. Zookeepers can feed portions of meat or whole (dead) prey to support an animal's physical, mental, and social health. Zookeepers can scatter food in the substrate on the ground or through the mesh of indoor enclosures to provide enrichment to the animals. This increases the foraging time and is also appealing to visitors. Zookeepers consider the method of food presentation, the frequency of feeds, and the nutritional balance. Food should be presented in a manner and frequency commensurate with the natural behavior of the species, as well as its nutritional requirements.
