Wildlife volunteers keep Bella the lioness amused for hours

Bella is healthy and happy in her large enclosure where she can roam freely, but without playmates to keep her happy it is important that she has good enrichment.

Volunteer and student Djolien de Wit spent three months at the Centre working on new enrichment ideas for Bella. In preparation, Djolien flew over everything but the kitchen sink, including a bright orange bowling ball, strong rope, essential lavender oil and vapour-rub and planned the activities over a number of weeks together with her Dutch colleagues and the Centre’s care team. Thanks to their work, Bella will have more fun and games in the future, keeping her fit, healthy and stimulated! Here are some of the highlights of the study.

The elephant droppings
The first game required elephant droppings which were transported from Kasungu National Park. With Bella safe in the other half of her enclosure the manure was put in little piles starting just in front of her night enclosure. The moment the wind turned and brought the smell towards her, she got up and curiously started walking towards the source. Knowing only the carers as her pride she shared her findings with the bystanders. Rolling next to the piles, she grabbed it in her mouth and took it to the shade to roll in it some more. Soft roars and loud purring gave the impression she was having the time of her life…

Happy with her elephant droppings… © LLWC

The bowling ball
A bowling centre in the Netherlands donated a big heavy bright orange bowling ball. This must be something even a one-eyed lioness would notice, right? Well, the first thing Bella did was walk up to the people standing in front of her enclosure. What were all those people doing there? Not seeing the ball, she started walking up and down the fence-line. To help her see it, stones where thrown in the direction of the ball. The moment she saw the ball everything changed. Purring loudly and smashing her big paws on the ball, she played with it like a kitten. Rolling it around, losing it and suddenly finding it again… hours of entertainment and exercise!

Bella with the bowling ball © LLWC

Bella with the bowling ball 2 © LLWC

Food
Food as enrichment is something that is used a lot with all sorts of animals. A carnivore, like Bella, eats meat – something with a strong smell. Making it difficult to eat by hiding it in a cardboard box or knotting it in rope is a great way of providing stimulating games at feeding time. Feeding time always brings Bella to the same spot. She lay there waiting for her usual easy meal, not knowing that today’s menu is a little special. You could see her think ‘Wow dude what is this? It smells great!’. The force with which she forced her nose into the box made it collapse at once. Not seeming to care for the food inside she went crazy about the box. Throwing it around, rolling over it – who needs food when you have meat-smelling cardboard!

Food enrichment © LLWC

Food enrichment 2 © LLWC

Food enrichment 3 © LLWC

To try something a little different, we tried knotting the food in a rope. The rope was (so it was thought) tightly secured to a tree. When Bella smelt the meat she went for the rope and with brute force ripped the rope from the tree. Bringing her prey to her platform she began to chew the pieces of meat from between the knots. Laying there looking lazy she used her big paws to drag more rope to her for more delicious morsels…it definitely made meal-time more fun!