Students interested in pursuing animal-related professions can benefit from a new educational opportunity.
Offered by Lyon College, in partnership with The Little Rock Zoo, the animal enrichment course is a mix of lectures and hands-on activities aimed at teaching students offering “enrichment” for various animal species.
Mary Jones, PhD, associate professor of biology, and Britt Florkiewicz, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Lyon College, will be teaching the course.
“Our class teaches students how to study, create, troubleshoot and implement enrichment for various animal species, such as those residing at the Little Rock Zoo,” says Dr. Florkiewicz. “We combine lectures with hands-on lab activities, providing an ideal learning experience for our students,” says Dr. Jones.
This summer, Alison Koons, a biology major with a minor in animal behavior, assisted Jones and Florkiewicz in piloting the course with the Little Rock Zoo’s elephants. Using weaved firehose material to conceal food items, Koons encouraged the elephants to engage in natural foraging behaviors.
“It took us a little while to figure out how to properly weave two firehoses and safely secure them together to create a mat with slots for fruits and vegetables,” says Koons. “It was such a rewarding and exciting experience to be able to observe the elephants explore the mats and find their food.”
“Enrichment items like these mats provide animals with mental and physical stimulation, as well as choice and control over their activities. Providing all captive animals with enrichment is crucial to maintaining their physical and psychological well-being,” adds Jones.
“We plan to offer the animal enrichment course again in the future with a full class of students,” says Florkiewicz. “Students will have the opportunity to work with various animal species, including monkeys, penguins, zebras, snakes and more, in addition to the elephants.”
For more information, visit the Lyon College website.