Feeder animals
Animal Welfare Behind the Scenes, Too
The Wildnispark Zurich foundation places great importance on ensuring that even the animals used to feed the predators can lead lives in which animal welfare is the top priority.
Langenberg Wildlifepark also keeps chicks, rabbits, and colored rats. They serve as food for carnivorous animals such as wolves, lynx, and bears. The animal care team places great importance on species-appropriate and animal-friendly care, even for the animals used as food.
Rats like to hide
The fancy rats live in a spacious enclosure with plenty of opportunities to retreat, climb, and keep themselves occupied. Branches, boards, soil, wood shavings, and cardboard provide the animals with variety. They can gnaw on bark and build nests out of various materials. They can also express their natural social behaviors.
During the day, the radio plays in the feed rats’ enclosure. Music has a calming effect on the animals. Since rats are very shy, they have plenty of places to retreat to.
Sand for the chicks to scratch in
The feed chicks also live in an environment where they can exhibit natural behaviors. Heat lamps ensure comfortable temperatures, and small fir trees create sheltered areas. On the sandy floor, the chicks can scratch around and search for food. They also ingest the sand, which aids in digestion.
Free-range access for the rabbits
In addition to a sheltered indoor enclosure, the rabbits have access to a spacious outdoor enclosure. There, they can dig and build burrows. When giving birth to their young, the females naturally would seek out darkened areas – this option is also provided for them in their housing.
Care Right Down to Feeding
When an animal is designated as prey for predator feeding, it is removed from its enclosure as gently as possible. Pregnant or nursing females are not used as prey.
The Natural Food Chain at the Zoo
Occasionally, the zookeepers also feed deer, horses, or bison from the park. These are usually animals for which no space could be found in another zoo, or older animals that are being culled to make room for young animals capable of reproduction. About one-third of the animals used for feed come from the wildlife park itself.
In addition, the wildlife park receives animals from game wardens – such as roe deer or red deer that have been hit by cars. Feed animals may also be delivered by slaughterhouses and private individuals.
