At the WSU Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Center, we have an enrichment program aimed at keeping our bears physically healthy and mentally stimulated. Every month, we’ll showcase the new or different activities and physical challenges our bears can tackle.
Here, center manager Brandon Evans Hutzenbiler prepares the enrichment ‘toys’ by stuffing them full of cut fresh fruit and other treats for the bears. Then, the objects are hung up or spread around. The bears then have to figure out how to get to the hidden treats.
And here is one of our bears figuring out how to access the hidden food rather quickly.