Our latest environmental enrichment device (EED) is for Central Florida Zoo’s African Crested Porcupines (Pluto and Pancake)

Categories Animal Enrichment Devices,

Our latest environmental enrichment device (EED) is for Central Florida Zoo’s African Crested Porcupines (Pluto and Pancake)

A few months ago, we met with Central Florida Zoo’s Carnivore Keepers and discussed some ideas to give Pluto and Pancake enrichment throughout the night.  African Crested Porcupines are nocturnal and we wanted to help encourage natural feeding/foraging behavior.  The EED will be suspended from a cable over the habitat and will have timer settings to control when and how much food is dispensed.  Since the porcupines are strong chewers and can even chew through concrete, their enrichment needs to be out of their reach.

This EED will be mostly used in Pancake and Pluto’s habitat but may also be used for the Zoo’s ambassador porcupine!     

Don designed and built every part of this automatic feeder. He used a cereal dispenser (like you see at hotel breakfast buffets) to house the food and a windshield wiper motor to power the device.  He built the circuits that control the timing and covered the enrichment housing in a fine mesh to keep unwanted critters out of the machine.  Here are some photos of all the parts and components that will become the EED:

  • Habitat showing cable that will suspend the EED
  • food dispenser and motor view
  • food dispenser
  • the outside of the box that will house the feeder
  • more panels
  • programmable timer, food dispenser view
  • battery housing
  • fit check for motor and feeder

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Published by animaleed