Dr. Lamar Hunter has just joined the Carolina Tiger Rescue team as a wildlife veterinarian. After he graduated from NC State’s vet school, Dr. Hunter studied under Dr. Angela Lassiter at Carolina Tiger Rescue. He helps with physicals, medical procedures, and loves seeing the animals improve under the care of the awesome vets at the rescue. Dr. Hunter enjoys working with all the animals at Carolina Tiger Rescue, but his favorite is the lions.
Dr. Hunter’s Blog 1/28/21
With cold weather, comes new enrichment for the animals! Enrichment is anything that changes up an animal’s day. It encourages them to use their mind and body and keeps them active. Occasionally, winter gives the cats enrichment by bringing snow to North Carolina! Some of our cats embrace the snow, playing and rolling in it, and others prefer to keep warm in a sunny spot or a cozy denbox. Everyone reacts differently to different enrichments. We try to have fun in the snow too – keepers have been known to leave snowmen behind for the cats as they clean enclosures. The cats can play in the snow as much or as little as they want. We make sure they have warm, straw-filled denboxes to come back to whenever they are done.
There is another enrichment item that only comes around in winter – Christmas trees! Each year, kind donors bring their Christmas trees to us, ornaments *not* included, as a gift to the cats. Lately, we have handed many, many trees out around the sanctuary. The cats love to rub against the branches and smell the trees, especially Anthony Leopard! One of his favorite scents is pine, so he loves Christmas tree season!
What are some things you only do in winter that make you look forward to cooler weather each year? Maybe it’s winter enrichment for humans, like hot chocolate or sledding. Whatever it is, I hope you get loads of it this winter and enjoy it like Anthony enjoys his trees!