B
ei Bei the giant panda cub learned skills from his keepers to
help vets examine him. Other zookeepers have different kinds
of wild techniques when it comes to caring for baby animals.
Check out some of the wacky ways caretakers nurture youngsters in
zoos around the worldFOOD ON THE MOVE
North Carolina Zoo, North Carolina
Kenickie the arctic fox would’ve gone
anywhere for a good meal. Before
receiving a snack, the fox had to follow
a Ping-Pong ball on a stick that his
keeper moved around. Then the human
used tongs to feed the fox puppy chow.
Caretakers wanted to get Kenickie comfortable with pursuing
the ball so they could use it to guide Kenickie into a crate when
he needed to be taken for checkups. Kenickie quickly caught on,
following the Ping-Pong for a reward. That’s being on the ball!Baby
Boom
A KEEPER DROPS
THE CUB INTO THE
POOL FOR HIS TEST.SATU
PROVES HE
CAN SWIM.KENICKIE IS FED
FOOD WITH TONGS.THE FOX
FOLLOWS THE
BALL FOR
MORE GRUB.zoos around the world.s around worldaatf16 AUGUST 201^7
TESTING
THE WATERS
Zoo Miami, Florida
Before moving from his nurs-
ery to an outdoor enclosure,
Satu the Sumatran tiger cub
had to pass a swim test. The
cat’s enclosure is surrounded
by a moat, and keepers needed
to make sure he could stay
afloat if he accidentally fell
in. So they dropped him into
a small pool and stood at the
edge, ready to dive in if they
saw the feline struggling.
But the animal didn’t need a
lifeguard. He quickly surfaced
and swam to the pool’s
edge, acing
the test.