Keeping animal diets fresh and healthy: Meet the Browse Team

Every day, a dedicated team ventures out to find the freshest, healthiest browse for the animals. In case you’re not familiar, “browse” is the term we use for fresh leaves, twigs, and branches, which are parts of a healthy diet for many of the herbivore species here at the Zoo. Now that you know what browse is, did you know we have a Browse Team? These unsung heroes keep giraffes munching, gorillas curious, and elephants happily snacking.

Browse materials are more than just treats for the animals. These are vital parts of diets and enrichment for animals who spend much of their time browsing, as they would in the wild. For example, colobus monkeys have stomachs specially designed to digest fibrous plant material. Elephants need tons of roughage every day for healthy digestion and mental stimulation. So many animals at the Zoo benefit from browse, and this team ensures there’s always something for everyone. Jared and Kristen are our Browse Team, and on a recent browse gathering trip, were also joined by Emmanuel from our Bamboo Team. The animals love their daily leafy lineup!

Jodi Carrigan
Curator of Primates