Getting steps in: Enrichment walks provide healthy benefits for southern tamandua, Olive

By Adam Gorski

Even a tamandua needs to get some steps in.

In recent weeks, our keepers have been taking Olive, our 19-year-old southern tamandua, on enrichment walks, giving her the chance to explore new surroundings and get some extra exercise.

While the walks themselves may look cute and fun (we’d be lying if we said they aren’t), they also are incredibly beneficial for Olive and her well-being!

Enrichment walks are not uncommon at zoos. You’ve probably seen social media clips of animals like penguins wandering around different grounds, but probably not clips of a tamandua! It is believed the Buffalo Zoo is one of a small number of zoos that provides enrichment walks for a tamandua.

When Olive is on her walk, keepers use a harness to ensure she doesn’t get too far away. Once she has the freedom to roam, she’ll wander all around M&T Bank Rainforest Falls, experiencing all sorts of different sights and scents. Her walks typically take place three times a week before the Zoo opens to the public.

Olive’s walks provide healthy mental stimulation, seeking to replicate natural behaviors. While our tamanduas are currently off exhibit, it’s also a great way to give her some extra physical activity, too. Being an older tamandua, the walks help her to keep her mobility strong.

Keepers say Olive can be very adventurous on her walks, often stopping to check out different habitats — but in line with her big personality, she has her more stubborn moments, too. She’s also very food motivated, and loves a tasty treat while out on her walks.

Southern tamanduas are native to much of South America, and are adapted to thrive in many different habitats. They are close relatives of anteaters. While their populations are a least concern for extinction, they do face threats in the wild like poaching and habitat loss.

Check out video from one of Olive’s walks here.