Trim to Treat: Benefiting Animals at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds

What is browse?

Browse are leaves, shoots and twigs of shrubs and trees used primarily as food for various animals at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds.

Which animals at the Zoo and The Wilds will benefit from the browse?

At the Columbus Zoo, there are many animal species that will benefit from the tree trimmings. This includes the colobus, langurs, tree kangaroos, giraffes, okapi, moose, bears, bettongs, binturong, bison, bonobos, deer (musk/tufted), elephants, gazelles (dama, slender-horned, Thomson’s), gibbons, goats, kangaroos, kudu, loris, mandrills, markhor, orangutans, prairie dogs, pronghorn, red river hogs, reindeer, siamangs, sheep, sloths, tortoises (along with many other species of herbivorous reptiles), vervets, warthogs, wildebeest, wombat, and zebras.

At The Wilds, the giraffes and Asian one-horn rhinos will primarily benefit from the tree trimmings. A variety of other deer and antelope will receive smaller amounts as enrichment.

Learn more about animals at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Why is browse important for animals?

Fresh, locally sourced browse offers many benefits to animals, including health, enrichment and nutrition. Below you’ll find just a few specific examples of how browse helps animals.

Adding tree trimmings to a habitat provides additional opportunities for enrichment as well— increasing activity levels and spurring mental stimulation with the power of choice. Species such as otters, feather tail gliders and hyenas can decide if they want to hide in/crawl through or simply scent mark plant material they receive. Birds, including macaws and lorikeets, use browse as a natural substrate to perch, manipulate, sharpen their beaks and build nests. Many avian species enjoy nothing more than spending countless hours shredding the tree trimmings.

Browse supports dental health for a wide variety of species, including rodents such as beavers, capybara and porcupines, with their continuously growing teeth.

The fresh tree trimmings also promote opportunities for animals to express their natural behaviors. Think about the amount of time a gorilla troop spends foraging together in their native habitat — taking the time to be together as a family stripping bark from branches, sharing a meal and then preparing nests to sleep.

Which animals consume the most browse?

Many animals will benefit from the fresh tree trimmings. For example, at the Columbus Zoo just one moose will enjoy approximately 980 linear feet of tree trimmings as part of its diet every week. At The Wilds, the giraffe herd will consume the majority of the browse delivered.

What type of browse will AEP Ohio deliver to the Zoo and The Wilds?

The Columbus Zoo and The Wilds have approved the following species of trees for the animals: ash, crabapple, elm, hackberry, mulberry, pear, sycamore and willow.

Where are the tree trimmings collected? How are they collected?

The tree trimmings for the Columbus Zoo are collected from the greater Columbus area and delivered twice per week. Trimmings for The Wilds are collected from the Zanesville and Cambridge areas and delivered as needed.

What safety measures are taken to make sure the tree trimmings delivered are safe for the animals to eat?

It’s a team effort. The forestry crews work to gather non-toxic plant species, while the Zoo and Wilds inspect the leaves and branches closely upon arrival to make sure they are safe for consumption.

Can I donate my tree trimmings to the Trim to Treat program?

At this time, we are not accepting tree donations to the Trim to Treat program. Our forestry crews work closely with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds to determine approved species of trees and amount of browse needed for the animals. We are currently able to satisfy the need through our ongoing tree trimming maintenance program.

Questions?

Email us at AEPOhioForestry@aep.com.