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Animals gorge themselves on gourds

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By LENORA LAKE

llake@tampatrib.com

Published: October 31, 2009

TAMPA - The trick was on the Lowry Park Zoo visitors at Friday's annual pumpkin toss, a holiday treat for the animals.

Alex, a 12-year-old chimpanzee, decided to throw the pumpkins at the crowd, who watched various animals chomp and play with carved pumpkins stuffed with goodies.

Jane LeFave, a zookeeper, said Alex is basically entering his teen years "and he has to show off."

He is the only male in the compound, she said, and "he has to display and show he's in charge."

The pumpkin toss is a special enrichment program for the animals, with each pumpkin filled with peanuts, dried fruit, honey and other treats, depending on the recipient. The enrichment is designed to stimulate them, change their routine and increase social interaction.

"Although they get daily enrichment, they only get the pumpkins once a year," LeFave said. "The pumpkins can keep them busy for a good hour."

The Indian rhinoceroses received pumpkins cut in half to keep them from choking. Java, born July 7, didn't know what to do with hers and kept moving it with her snout.

The white tigers used theirs as balls and threw them in the water.

The crowd of parents, pre-schoolers and nature lovers applauded as the orangutans caught the pumpkins in their hands and quickly devoured the holiday treat.

Bill Stentz of Land O'Lakes brought his daughters, Alex, 3, and Maggie, 1, to the pumpkin toss.

Alex, dressed in an orange shirt and skirt, liked the tigers' reaction best.

"I like it that they throwed them in the water," Alex said.

Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 259-7662.

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