Don’t feed the animals – West Hawaii Today

The staff at the Hilo zoo is urging visitors to keep their objects and hands away from the animals at all times after a rising number of foreign items have found in some enclosures.

The zookeepers at the Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens have reported seeing an uptick in hazardous items like food, trash, small objects, hats and more that were most likely left by guests and placed in zoo habitats.

“It’s disturbing to see some of the items we find in the enclosures that present serious risks to the animals, which are like family to us,” said zoo Administrator Mindy Runnells. “This has been pretty consistent lately and something we’re constantly struggling with. It’s hard, because one of the first rules we have is to not feed the animals.”

According to Runnells, staff recently found onions and coins in one of the primate habitats, both of which could not have been dropped by accident.

“Onions can be toxic to primates, and coins are a choking hazard and can block the digestive system,” Runnells said. “I’m sure there are people coming form a good place, but there is a lot of finesse when it comes to feeding the animals in the zoo. We have to monitor what they are eating, when they eat and how much they eat.”

The animals at the zoo are on monitored diets carefully designed by zoo staff for each species, and much work goes into balancing the diets of the animals, finding quality foods, and preparing the food to the animals’ liking.

Foreign foods can cause a variety of health problems in animals, including nausea, diarrhea and poisoning. Fruits and vegetables that are healthy for people can be toxic for certain animals. While onions are toxic to primates, avocados are toxic to parrots, and processed foods can cause digestive issues in almost all animals.

Other items such as ketchup packets, bottle caps, hats and plastic bottles have been found in animal habitats.

“While some things can be accidental, a lot of the items found in enclosures are dropped when a guest is past a barrier and too close to an animal, which we see often,” Runnells said. “I’ve seen kids trying to give an animal an iPad, and I’ve heard kids reminding the adults about the rules themselves. It’s a lot.”

The staff wants everyone to have fun, but is more concerned with the safety of guests and animals. Visitors are urged to read the zoo rules and to be a good example for young keiki.

“If anyone wants to get rid of coins, the Wishing Well at the front of the zoo is a great place to deposit them,” said Runnells. “These funds go to The Friends of the Pana‘ewa Zoo and are used to support the zoo and its wonderful animals.”

For those interested in watching the zookeepers feed the animals, the best time to visit the zoo is in the morning. Feeding times can be found at hilozoo.org/events.

The zoo also has curated a new list of donations needed for the animals. Some of the items include older towels, sheets, plastic children’s toys and pet carriers. The list can be found at hilozoo.org/wishilist.

The zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. For more information about zoo rules and regulations, please contact Runnells at (808) 959-7224.

Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.