The Phoenix Zoo receives an animal data transfer form before the animal arrives.
Hatwood said the form tells the zoo data and information about the animal’s diet, whether they were parent raised, their personality and behavior, if they have any training and what their previous living arrangements were.
“This information includes any disease and breeding history, whether they are comfortable with humans and what types of enrichment toys and activities they had in their previous habitat,” she said.
After the quarantine stage the zoo enters the animals into a “howdy” period.
During the “howdy” period the existing animals at the zoo are taken from their exhibit and introduced to the new animal in a neutral environment with a barrier that allows the animals to see each other without getting too close, Hatwood said.
She said the barrier is sometimes a chain link fence to allow visibility and minimal contact without the possibility of the animals hurting one another.
“The ‘howdy’ period can take anywhere from a day to a month, but the animals usually get along quickly within a couple of days,” she said.
Continued on next page
Talk of Arizona
20
January 2014