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Christmas comes early for Lowry Park Zoo primates

 
Josie, an orangutan, reaches to catch a present Friday during the Presents for Primates event at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. This seasonal enrichment event included various primate exhibits for about 45 minutes. Zoo staffers tossed wrapped presents filled with toys, children’s books, pine cones, coconuts, dried fruits and shirts. Zookeepers said they do enrichment exercises with the primates to challenge their minds and keep them more stimulated.
Josie, an orangutan, reaches to catch a present Friday during the Presents for Primates event at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. This seasonal enrichment event included various primate exhibits for about 45 minutes. Zoo staffers tossed wrapped presents filled with toys, children’s books, pine cones, coconuts, dried fruits and shirts. Zookeepers said they do enrichment exercises with the primates to challenge their minds and keep them more stimulated.
Published Dec. 14, 2013

TAMPA — Christmas came early Friday at Lowry Park Zoo during a Presents for Primates event.

The seasonal enrichment event proceeded through various primate exhibits for approximately 45 minutes.

Zoo staff tossed wrapped presents filled with toys, children's books, pine cones, coconuts, dried fruits and shirts.

Jane Lefave, a primate keeper at the zoo, said that they do enrichment exercises, such as giving presents to the primates, in order to "challenge their minds and keep them more stimulated."

Amy Blackford, also a primate keeper with Lowry Park Zoo, explained that enrichment programs like these help keep the zoo animals' instincts sharp and to simulate activities they would do in the wild.