Animals at Mangal das Garças receive frozen food during the Amazon summer
Environmental enrichment action promotes well-being and stimulates natural behaviors in the park managed by the Government of Pará
With the high temperatures of the Amazon summer, the care for the animals at the Zoobotanical Park Mangal das Garças in Belém received an extra dose of attention and creativity. This Tuesday (22), the technical team promoted a special environmental enrichment action by offering frozen food to the park's residents, delighting visitors and ensuring the well-being of the species.
Fruits such as banana, apple, and corn were transformed into natural popsicles for macaws, parrots, and toucans. The Scarlet Ibis received a table with chilled shrimp skewers, while turtles and iguanas enjoyed frozen fruits and leaves. The presentation of the food was done in a playful manner, with popsicle carts, small boats, and themed tables designed to stimulate the curiosity and natural behaviors of the birds.
"It is a practice of environmental enrichment through feeding that we apply during the hottest months. Besides refreshing, these foods encourage natural behaviors, keeping the birds active and curious," explained Mangal's biologist, Basílio Guerreiro.
The initiative will be carried out twice a week, with planning based on the type of food for each species and the temperature recorded on the day. "Not all foods can be frozen or offered cold all the time. We observe the acceptance, the type of suitable food, and, of course, the level of heat that the animals are facing," added the biologist.
The action reinforces Mangal das Garças' commitment to care, environmental education, and biodiversity preservation. The park is managed by the State Government, through the State Secretariat of Tourism (Setur) and the Social Organization Pará 2000.
Service - Mangal das Garças operates from Tuesday to Friday, from 8 am to 6 pm, with free entry. Access to monitored spaces, such as the butterfly house, the memorial, and the lighthouse, costs R$ 9.00 (full) and R$ 4.50 (half).
Daily programming of Mangal das Garças
8:30 am – Feeding the iguanas
9:00 am – Tour with diurnal raptors (Tuesday to Friday)
10:00 am – Release of butterflies (check at the ticket office)
10:15 am – Feeding the turtles
11:00 am, 3:00 pm, and 5:30 pm – Feeding the herons
5:00 pm – Tour with the owls (Tuesday to Friday)
Text: Beatriz Santos / Ascom OS Pará 2000
