Enrichment for Pi the Bald Eagle

Part of our responsibility in the care and management of our winged education ambassadors is to keep their minds as healthy as their bodies.  One way to do this is to provide enrichment in how their food is presented.  This encourages natural behavior by engaging the birds’ minds, feet, and eyes, as well as making the activities of finding food and eating last longer. 

Puzzle toys are one form of enrichment (note the previous blog post about rope toys ).  Enrichment activities have to be safe for the bird, including using items that the birds cannot ingest.  The birds also need to be trained to the different enrichment activities.  
Watch a YouTube video of Pi here. 

This is what the "toy" looks like up close

This is Pi's food - yummy rat!