“He actually gets to physically manipulate something, a brush, he gets to look at the colors when he’s painting, and he gets to manipulate the canvas … And then the third part of that is he actually gets a reward — his reinforcement is his favorite snack — so I would say painting is definitely one of his favorite enrichment activities.”
Part of the array of enrichment programs developed by the creatures’ caretakers, painting is an optional activity offered periodically to many animals at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Each species creates works of art with non-toxic paint using techniques specific to their natural behavior and body: while some animals hold brushes in their paws or mouths, others apply paint directly to the canvas with their trunk, snout or entire body.
