These are great items because they’re fun for the herbivores to each, the carnivores to tear apart, and everybody to roll and throw around. They’re tactile, olfactory, and edible enrichment all in one!
I believe they’re acceptable on-exhibit enrichment for naturalistic facilities like Brookfield in Chicago, too.
I think of this time of year as Tumblr’s Annual Pumpkining of the Animals Post.
The bat though!
This is the best thing!
Our local pumpkin farm gives any unsold pumpkins to the zoo!
i had just finished my face paint, which consisted of sickly greenish skin above a gaping, painted-on maw of sharpened teeth. i checked the bathroom mirror.
it was terrifying.
“perfect.” i whispered
i threw on my costume of a raggedy dress and flower crown for my altered “corpse bride” look, grabbed my pillowcase, checked my phone, and headed out.
it was time.
i walked the few blocks down to the rich neighborhood near my house. i got a good haul from the first few houses.
but then…
I heard them
i can’t really describe it in words. you would’ve had to hear it. it was like a mumble at first, getting louder and louder until I couldn’t hear my own thoughts over the whispers. all these voices, screaming at me and somehow still whispering.
then….they seemed to die down. the number of voices lessened until there was one, singing “this is halloween”. it must have noticed me, because it stopped.
it only said one word.
“who?”
“well….m-my name i-i-is Sophia. You ca-can call me…Sophie?” i said, surprised I hadn’t shit my pants yet. the voice was like satan himself was talking perfectly in time with the sweetest old granny you ever met.
“good name. what Miss Sophie doing near gaud’s wood?”
i didn’t know if I had misheard the voice. i looked around. everyone seemed to have left. just me and the still-disembodied voice.
“did you just call yourself God? Like, Bible and crap?”
“NO! GAUD, g-a-u-d! …”
did it just…..they just yelled at me!
“…and I ask miss sophie, what is Miss Sophie here for?”
“i-i-i-im trick or tre-tre-treating.” after this gaud person had yelled at me, I was sure I had shit my pants.
“trick…….trick rr treat? gaud like both those thing. gaud join.”
and then…..they left the woods.
they were the most terrifyingly beautiful creature I had ever seen or even fucking heard of. their skin was pale pink and smooth as glass, glistening in the soft moonlight. they carried themself regally, and, out of decency, had on a loose-fitting wizard’s robe.
“um….what candy do you like, mx gaud?”
“small, round, pretty color. I think are called…..sit….sitkul?”
“oh, skittles! would you like to try to find some?”
“O YES YES GOOD IDEA MISS SOPHIE!!”
they jumped up and down and clapped like a little kid before finally stopping and smiling. I took their cool hand and led them to the nearest house. it was around 8, so things were really begin to kick up.
i knocked on the door. a nice little old woman came out holding a bowl of, you guessed it, packs of skittles. she said some compliment and gave us three packs. we went out to the street.
“oh miss Sophie, thank, thank….”
they said, before tearing open a skittle packet with their teeth and swallowing it whole. they shook their head and looked at me, smiling.
and so, it began. we may as well have looted all the houses that had skittles, but otherwise, it was a blast!
but, of course, around nine-thirtyish, I had to take gaud back to the woods.
“tonight was fun! I hope to see you again next year.”
“yes miss sophie, I will see you next halloween!”
they went in for what I think was supposed to be a kiss, but they really just licked my face. and next thing I knew, I woke up at home. I thought it was a dream, until I saw the note on my bedside table.
