Chilean Zoo Organizes Annual Easter-Themed Food Hunt for Animals

Bioparque Buinzoo, the largest private zoo in Chile, conducted an annual food enrichment event on Sunday in Santiago. The activity involved animals searching for their meals, which were packaged in containers resembling Easter eggs. This event has been held for the past 16 years.

Several animal species participated, including meerkats, monkeys, lemurs, caracals, and sheep. Zookeepers hid food items in various enclosures to encourage foraging behaviors similar to those in the wild. The treats consisted of foods appropriate for each species' natural diet, such as meat for small felines and fruits for primates.

small felines like caracals, zookeepers placed small bags decorated like Easter eggs and filled with meat. The caracals jumped onto tree branches to retrieve the snacks. For meerkats, a basket containing egg-themed items was positioned among rocks in their enclosure.

Monkeys and lemurs received fruits hidden inside brown paper bags decorated with bunny ears. Sheep foraged for food pellets placed inside a colorful sphere with holes. These setups allowed the animals to engage in natural hunting and searching activities.

>"In nature, these animals spend much of their life looking for food" so the zoo wanted to recreate that behavior. — Ignacio Idalsoaga, zoo director (The Independent) Ignacio Idalsoaga, the zoo's director, stated that the treats were not chocolate eggs but foods the animals would consume in their habitat.

He noted that the zoo's creative team developed imaginative elements for this year's event. The activity serves to entertain visitors while promoting animal welfare through behavioral stimulation.

organizes this event annually to provide environmental enrichment. Such activities help maintain the physical and mental health of captive animals by replicating wild foraging challenges. Visitors observe the interactions, which occur in the zoo's enclosures in Santiago, Chile's capital.