Several animals at Brookfield Zoo, including Obesa, a 29-year-old pygmy hippo, received pumpkins. She appears to be enjoying the Halloween treat. Photo by Kelly Tone/Chicago Zoological Society A carpet python slithers his way through a carved pumpkin at Brookfield Zoo. Photo by Kelly Tone/Chicago Zoological Society Kamba, a western lowland gorilla at Brookfield Zoo, seems to be thoroughly enjoying the pumpkin that she and the other members of the gorilla family received as part of the zoo’s enrichment program. Photo by Kelly Tone/Chicago Zoological Society Hani, a 14-year-old sloth bear at Brookfield Zoo, gets ready to dig into a pumpkin that animal care staff gave her as part of the zoo’s enrichment program. Photo by Kelly Tone/Chicago Zoological Society Zachary, a western lowland gorilla at Brookfield Zoo, seems to be enjoying an early Halloween treat. Photo by Kelly Tone/Chicago Zoological Society The Rodrigues fruit bats at Brookfield Zoo’s Australia House received carved pumpkins filled with a variety of chopped fruit. Photo by Kelly Tone/Chicago Zoological Society The Rodrigues fruit bats at Brookfield Zoo’s Australia House received carved pumpkins filled with a variety of chopped fruit. Photo by Kelly Tone/Chicago Zoological Society Kamba, a female western lowland gorilla at Brookfield Zoo, investigates a Halloween treat while her son Zachary looks on. Photo by Kelly Tone/Chicago Zoological Society Hani, a 14-year-old sloth bear reaping the benefits of her successfully breaking open a Halloween treat at Brookfield Zoo. Photo by Kelly Tone/Chicago Zoological Society Adelle, a 41-year-old pygmy hippo at Brookfield Zoo, gets ready to dig into a Halloween treat. Photo by Kelly Tone/Chicago Zoological Society On Friday, several of the animals at Brookfield Zoo received pumpkins.
Animal care staff carved some of the of the pumpkins and filled them with additional food items.
Animals will also be receiving pumpkins over the next two weekends during Brookfield Zoo’s Boo! at the Zoo Halloween celebration, which takes place Saturdays and Sundays, October 21-22 and 28-29, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
As part of the Chicago Zoological Society’s Center for the Science of Animal Welfare, staff are always thinking of ways to physically and mentally stimulate the animals at Brookfield Zoo. One way is by providing them with enrichment items they normally do not receive on a regular basis, including pumpkins.