The summer wildflowers have sprung and so has the curiosity of our furry and feathered friends around the Perkins Wildlife Center. The deer are lively, the crows are chanting, and Spaulding’s inquisitive nature is simply amplified by the warm summer days. Who is Spaulding? He is our six year old male gray fox. The gray fox is one of the two fox species found in Ohio and one of five in North America. One husbandry practice I implement daily as a wildlife specialist is to provide mental and physical stimulation for Spaulding and all of the other animals I care for. This is referred to as enrichment, that is, providing the resources to stimulate our animals mentally and physically, to promote their natural behaviors and abilities, and to enhance their physical health and well-being. For Spaulding’s enrichment today I dripped a bit of eucalyptus scent on a Frisbee in hopes to stimulate his keen olfactory system. Spaulding eagerly climbed down from his tree (a skill rarely mastered with Canids, members of the dog family), and immediately investigated the foreign scent. Another enrichment success!
Marty Calabrese, CMNH Wildlife Specialist
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