Carley Burrow joined our PRC team of interns in the spring of 2019. Check out this creative and resourceful enrichment project she made for the monkeys!
Using a cardboard drink carrier, shredded paper, treats, a cardboard box, a pen, four medium length zip ties and scissors, Carley turned this disposable drink carrier into a treasured enrichment activity.
Her first step was to cut out a flat piece of cardboard the same size as the drink carrier. She traced the perimeter of the cardboard drink holder onto the cardboard box then cut out the traced square of cardboard and saved it to use for backing.
Next, she filled the spaces for the drinks in the carrier with shredded paper to create a foraging experience for the primates. Carley hid nuts, seeds and berries in the shredded paper for the primates to enjoy…yum!
In order to keep the treats and paper in place, Carley used the cardboard square as a backing. She poked two holes on either side of the carrier through the cardboard in the back using a pen then zip-tied the cardboard backing tightly to the drink carrier.
Once her enrichment was sealed, Carley poked two more holes on either side of the carrier so the caregivers could attach the enrichment to the monkey’s enclosure.
The monkeys really enjoyed pulling bits of shredded paper out of the drink carier and sifting through it to find the treats! Many thanks to Carley for providing the animals with this enjoyable experience and for finding yet another way to turn ordinary, every-day items into treasured enrichment activities for the primates!