Guided Feeding Tours at Herberstein Wildlife Park

At Tierwelt Herberstein, guided feeding sessions are offered right next to the respective animal enclosures and are included in the admission price. During these sessions, you’ll learn interesting facts about the eating habits of our animals. Our team of animal caretakers—divided into three units—is responsible for feeding the more than 700 permanent residents from Africa, the Americas, Australia, Eurasia, and the African bird aviary.

Meals are prepared and cooked in the animal kitchen; this naturally includes treats such as a moist “monkey cake” for our siamangs. Feeding schedules may vary depending on the animal species and the season. The menus include, among other things, beef, birdseed, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, pellets, and grains. Rice, croissants, cornmeal, and potatoes are cooked.

Last year, the following product quantities were the top sellers: 85,190 kg of hay, 38,899 kg of pellets, 23,170 kg of carrots, and 22,075 apples—the name says it all in this apple-growing region. We would like to thank the retail company SPAR for its generous support in the form of regular feed donations.

Our pair of spectacled bears, HuBÄRt and Lisa, also play a big part in these numbers. Here’s an overview of what’s on their menu:

Fruits and vegetables—mainly apples and carrots—are part of the daily menu. HuBÄRt also gets meat once a week. Lisa is a vegetarian and doesn’t eat meat. To ensure she still gets enough protein, she is given cottage cheese and yogurt several times a week.

The food is scattered throughout the enclosure; searching for it keeps the animals occupied. In the wild, spectacled bears spend much of the day searching for food. In the summer, they also enjoy eating ice (frozen water with fruit).

HuBÄRt also loves his shaking tree, which not only provides food but also keeps him occupied. When he shakes it vigorously, the fruit falls to the ground. By the way, shaking the tree is men’s work. Lisa always waits impatiently for her partner to start shaking it.

Since the two of them spend the night in the house, there are always sweet treats in the evening—such as bananas, oranges, melon, or kiwi—as a reward or incentive to lure them inside.

The spectacled bear is an omnivore that feeds primarily on plants. They love bromeliads, especially the core. However, they can be very picky and do not eat every type of plant. Fruits, such as various berries, are their second most important food source. They also eat plants like palm shoots, bamboo shoots, and bark. Animal matter makes up the smallest portion of their diet; here, they primarily feed on insects, snails, rodents, and birds, but also on larger mammals such as deer and domestic cattle.

The spectacled bear is shy around people and avoids settlements. Only when forced by a scarcity of food does it occasionally prey on domestic animals (llamas, cattle, goats, sheep). However, if it finds a cornfield, it feasts on it to its heart’s content.

Have you ever taken part in a guided feeding session at Tierwelt Herberstein? Share your favorite photo or video from the experience on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube with the hashtag #herberstein, and find it on our Social Wall!

Why not give the gift of quality time together with a visit to Tierwelt Herberstein? Gift certificates are available directly online! The guided feeding sessions are a special highlight here.

Photos: Copyright by Andreas Litzellachner