The cows housed at the Eco Park in Foz do Iguaçu spend their time playing with pilates balls to have fun and maintain their weight. The goats and mini pigs forage for their food, while the llamas love looking for bits of vegetables scattered around the enclosure. The rabbits' 'plate' is a small ball filled with leaves.
These activities are part of the Animal Welfare Program developed by the team especially to offer quality of life to the animals at Eco Park.
The initial aim of the program was to restore the quality of life to the birds that arrived at the park after being taken in from mistreatment. However, with the good results with the birds, the unit started to apply the welfare program to 100% of the animals at the Mini Farm.
According to biologist Anna Cecília Leite, who is in charge of the program, the team's priority is to ensure that the animals have a good quality of life. "The animals are our bosses," she says.
The whole team
The activities to ensure that the animals live well and have good experiences under human care involve the whole team and each employee contributes their talents and skills.
The veterinary team, for example, works to ensure that the animals have a balanced diet and are in good health. "All the animals in the shelter have a medical file and undergo preventive examinations," explains Anna.
Maintenance, on the other hand, creates structures in the enclosures so that the animals have a more dynamic environment.
"Our team is constantly being trained to stimulate the animals. The aim is that, even though they live in enclosures, they can develop their natural behaviors. Everything we do here is for their well-being," says Igor Morais, the park's institutional coordinator.
Affection, you can
Thanks to this care, visitors to the Eco Park, especially children, are able to pet and even feed the animals. Although these interactions are positive, the caretakers evaluate behavior on a daily basis.
"If one of the animals is uncomfortable with the touch, the interaction is paralyzed," explains Anna. As with humans, all affection needs to be respectful and limited. Nobody forces it.
Another action that is part of the program is the conditioning of the animals, as already happens with birds of prey and horses. The other animals are also trained to accept the approach and are even attended to by the veterinarian.
Schedule
The Eco Park is open to visitors every day. The presentations by the Birds of Prey and the Criollo Horse take place at two times: at 10 a.m. and at 3.30 p.m., lasting approximately 1.5 hours. Between these times you can visit the Mini Farm. The park is open from 9am to 5.30pm.
The Eco Park is located less than 15 minutes from the city center and five minutes from the Iguaçu National Park, and next to the Dreams Park Show, where there are: Wax Museum, Wonders of the World, Dinosaur Valley, Ice Bar and the Dreams Motor Show.
