At Critter Care we see enrichment as important a part of Wildlife rehabilitation as having the right formula and medicines to feed and treat our animals.  We ensure that all of our animals are not only transitioned through a series of age appropriate cages, but also have a fulfilling environment based largely on their Natural History.  All of our animals receive large portions of natural feeds including skunk cabbage for our bears in the spring and lots of leafy greens to restart their digestive systems after a long winters hibernation.  Otters are fed a variety of fish and meat sources and are also provided with live trout to encourage their hunting instincts which candidly needs little  motivation.  We harvest large amounts of slugs and earthworms for the raccoons and place them in hide boxes and containers for them encouraging foraging and tactile stimulus with their hands.  

All enclosures take into consideration some of the environmental influences in the wild. Deer are provided with natural cover from cedars and pines as well as fresh grass to run around on.  Varied surfaces ensure proper hoof development and wear and large cages serve to provide areas to run and play.  We also do not house predators next to prey so that stress is removed from the animals while they develop.  Bears are provided with daily browse in addition to their diets and have varied surfaces of river stone, pebbles, gymnasiums and huge logs to run around over and through.  Our otters have a huge pond to swim in with recirculating filters and pumps ensuring the best possible water quality and clarity.  Likewise our beavers build lodges within their man-made lodge and have a deep pond in which to feel safe and secure from their human caregivers.  Every facet of their behavior and natural history is considered while at Critter Care ensuring not only that we return physically healthy animals to the wild but MENTALLY HEALTHY ones as well.

At many centers enrichment is a random piece meal series of events at Critter Care enrichment is coordinated on a daily basis by the Supervisory staff and assigned to interns and volunteers.  We constantly encourage new ideas and stimulus for the animals and record our offerings not only to maintain successes but also to ensure that safety for the animals and the caregiver is taken into consideration at all times.  No where is enrichment more important than with our only permanent resident Hoover the Bobcat.   We constantly focus on developing new ideas for scent, taste, environmental, audio and visual enrichment for her to ensure she has the optimum care available to her.  Her encarceration was an unfortunate circumstance and therefore we feel the obligation to provide her with as much stimulus as can be provided in a life behind bars.

Take a closer look you can almost see the smiling!