Animal Diaries Archive

Scent Trails

3 June 2005

A big part of our day at the Zoo is ensuring our animals have everything they could possibly need, including plenty of enrichment activities to keep them stimulated. In order to be effective we have to come up with activities related to the animal's natural lifestyle. One example of this is the use of scent trails for our devils and wombats, due to their sense of smell (as opposed to eyesight) being their primary sense. The hardest part these days is trying to come up with new combinations of items that will produce an enticing smell. Below are a couple of the recipes that have been successful in the past. WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.

Tasmanian Devil Scent Trail Recipes: RECIPE 1:

Teaspoon of insectivore Squirt of honey 1 can squished sardines in oil Combine all items in a bowl and gradually add water until a smooth consistency is achieved. Use a fork to flick mixture around enclosure particularly on browse.

RECIPE 2:

Left over blood from meat items Teaspoon of Gravox Gradually add water until smooth liquid is formed. Use in water spray bottle for best coverage.

Common Wombat Scent Trail Recipes:

RECIPE 1:

2 slices of watermelon (seedless) 3 cups of water Blend watermelon to form a pulp. Add water until liquid is formed. Use in water spray bottle for best coverage. RECIPE 2:

1 teaspoon smooth peanut butter ½ teaspoon of honey 2 cups of water Blend all items until a smooth consistency is formed. Use teaspoon to distribute material around enclosure.