Safari elephants get a sensory workout with colorful balls

On Wednesday morning, elephants at the Safari zoo received a special enrichment activity, colorful rolling soccer balls that added a lot of interest to their yard. The zoo said this kind of enrichment encourages curiosity, movement and play.

The elephants chased the balls, pushed them, rolled them, kicked them and tried to understand how they responded to touch and motion. Keepers said the activity is not only entertaining, but also an important way to activate the animals’ bodies and senses.

Playing with the balls combines coordination between the legs and trunk, leg movement, fine motor skills, touch, and the examination of different surfaces and textures. The zoo noted that elephants use touch extensively as part of how they explore the world, and the balls gave them a particularly intriguing sensory experience.