This fierce girl was delighted when Keepers surprised her with a brand-new enrichment activity!

As soon as the bubbles appeared, Olivia seemed very interested by the new devilish fun. 

As a carnivouous marsupial, Tasmanian Devils have big appetites. They tend to scavenge for meat, using their powerful jaws to eat up to 40 per cent of their body weight every few days.

But enrichment doesn’t always need to include food!

In fact, using something new and exciting like bubbles encourages Olivia to stay active while intriguing her natural curiosity.

Australian Fauna Keeper Bec Kop said creative enrichment is an important part of each animal’s day.

“Enrichment isn’t always food based, and this bubble activity is great example of how Olivia can use her exploratory behaviours,” Bec said.

“We are always looking at giving our animals something that is new to encourage them to be inquisitive, but it’s also important that it’s safe.  

“Olivia was very curious to see the bubbles, it was incredible to watch her chase and paw at the bubbles in excitement.”

As a Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) welfare-accredited zoo, we are committed to giving our animals rich, diverse and fulfilling lives made up of positive experiences. 

We’re not just here to help our animals survive – we ‘re here to let them thrive.

We use the Five Domains Animal Welfare Model, a science-based framework designed to assess the welfare of all our animals, whether big or small, furry, feathery or scaley.

By considering what each animal needs for its environment, behaviour, nutrition and  health , it means we can set them up for a positive mental state and give them greatest  care possible.  

We go above and beyond to keep our animals happy, and enrichment activities like this bubble fun is just one way we use the Five Domains of Animal Welfare to do so.

We are proud of being one of the best in animal welfare and our incredible animal carers are at the forefront of this.

You can watch more Tassie Devil enrichment at the FREE keeper talk that runs on Wednesday, Friday and Sundays at 3pm.