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Saturday, June 5, 2021

The Musical Rhino

 


Not all of the enrichment offered to animals is "natural," as evidenced by this Indian rhino at the Denver Zoo, playing on a keyboard.  I had a purist phase when I was younger that would have hated this, seeing it as a slippery-slope back to when chimpanzees wore dresses and had tea parties.  

These days, I take a more laid-back view.  Zoos aren't 100% natural environments, and can't rely on 100% natural enrichment to make the animals content (and it's not like the diets or vet care are "natural" either).  

Besides, rhinos are smart, curious animals that often investigate novelties in their environment.  If you were to drop off a keyboard in the middle of Nepal's Chitwan National Park, I'm sure it wouldn't take too long for a rhino or elephant to toddle up to investigate it, maybe compose their own melody.  Or smash it.  Either way, something would happen with it.

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