A small panda food enrichment ball

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of bear panda food storage ball, including ball, and ball surface is provided with feeding mouth, and ball surface is also provided with several groups of slide, and each group of slide is one-to-one corresponding with feeding mouth, and each group of slide is slidably connected with shielding part, and shielding part is connected with slide bar, and opposite two side walls of slide are equipped with rubber strip, and cavity is left between two rubber strips, and slide bar is located in cavity, and rubber strip is contacted with slide bar;Friction lines are arranged on the side of shielding part away from ball.The rubber strip is contacted with the slide bar, so that the sliding of the shielding part is a damping sliding. On the one hand, it increases the difficulty for the bear panda to obtain food, and improves the exercise amount and cognitive stimulation effect of the bear panda. On the other hand, the friction lines on the outside of the shielding part can simulate the friction characteristics of the rough substrate in the wild environment. During the process of repeatedly moving the shielding part, the nails are naturally worn through contact friction, so as to reduce the frequency of artificial nail trimming and the cost of feeding management.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of red panda breeding technology, and in particular to a red panda enrichment food container ball. Background Technology

[0002] In captivity, red pandas are prone to stereotyped behaviors due to limited space and insufficient natural behavioral expression, which negatively impacts their physical and mental health. To address these issues, enrichment techniques in animal husbandry are widely used. Among these, enrichment food balls, a typical food exploration device, simulate natural foraging scenarios by placing food in a rolling, perforated container. This encourages red pandas to obtain food through physical interaction, increasing the difficulty of food acquisition and thus reducing stereotyped behaviors while enhancing their cognitive and motor abilities. Furthermore, captive red pandas have relatively limited living space and lack sufficient natural environments for them to engage in ample activity and naturally wear down their nails.

[0003] Existing enrichment balls typically use spherical structures made of rattan or plastic, with holes on the surface to hold food (such as fruit). The food is then dispersed naturally by the red panda's grasping and rolling movements. However, this design has a significant drawback: the surface lacks targeted physical friction structures, failing to wear down the red panda's nails. Therefore, regular manual nail trimming is necessary to alleviate this problem, increasing feeding and management costs. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a food enrichment ball for red pandas, which enables red pandas to achieve physiological wear and tear on their nails during foraging, thereby reducing the frequency of manual nail trimming.

[0005] This utility model is implemented as follows:

[0006] This utility model provides a food enrichment ball for red pandas, comprising a sphere with several feeding openings on its surface for the red pandas to access the food. The sphere also has several sets of slides, each corresponding to a feeding opening. Each set of slides is slidably connected to a cover for obstructing the feeding opening. The cover is connected to a T-shaped sliding rod. Rubber strips are installed on opposite side walls of the slides, with a cavity between two rubber strips. The sliding rod is located within the cavity, and the rubber strips are in contact with the sliding rod. Friction textures are formed on the side of the cover away from the sphere.

[0007] Furthermore, the sphere is composed of a first hemisphere and a second hemisphere, and the two hemispheres are connected by a connecting component.

[0008] Furthermore, the connecting component includes a first snap-fit ​​piece disposed inside the first hemisphere and a second snap-fit ​​piece disposed inside the second hemisphere. The first snap-fit ​​piece extends into the second hemisphere and has a slot, one end of which is open and the other end is closed. When the second snap-fit ​​piece is screwed into the slot, the two hemispheres are connected into a whole.

[0009] Furthermore, the connecting component includes a hinge, with one end of the first hemisphere and the second hemisphere connected by the hinge, the other end of the first hemisphere hinged to a buckle, and the other end of the second hemisphere connected to an L-shaped locking block. The buckle has a hook-shaped part on the side facing the first hemisphere, and when the hook-shaped part is connected to the locking block, the two hemispheres are connected into a whole.

[0010] Furthermore, both the sphere and the shielding part are made of stainless steel.

[0011] Furthermore, the surface of the sphere is also provided with a hanging ring.

[0012] The advantages of this invention are as follows: the contact between the rubber strip and the sliding rod makes the sliding of the shielding part a damped sliding motion. On the one hand, this increases the difficulty for the red panda to obtain food, prolongs the interaction time, and further enhances the red panda's exercise and cognitive stimulation. On the other hand, the friction texture on the outer side of the shielding part can simulate the frictional characteristics of rough substrates in the wild. As the red panda repeatedly moves the shielding part, the nails are naturally worn down through contact friction, reducing the frequency of manual nail trimming and lowering the cost of feeding and management. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the enrichment food storage ball for red pandas according to the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the structure.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the slide bar, slide rail, and rubber strip of this utility model. Figure 1 .

[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure of the slide bar, slide rail, and rubber strip of this utility model. Figure 2 .

[0018] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A partial right view of the structure shown.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the spherical explosion structure of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the friction texture structure on the outer side of the shielding part of this utility model.

[0021] Explanation of the labels in the diagram:

[0022] 100. Storage ball; 1. Sphere; 11. Feeding opening; 12. Slide; 2. Covering part; 3. Sliding rod; 4. Rubber strip; 5. First hemisphere; 6. Second hemisphere; 7. Connecting assembly; 71. First snap-fit ​​piece; 711. Slot; 72. Second snap-fit ​​piece; 73. Hinge; 74. Buckle; 741. Hook-shaped part; 75. Locking block; 8. Hanging ring. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Please see Figures 1 to 7 This invention provides a food enrichment ball for red pandas, comprising a sphere 1 with several feeding openings 11 on its surface for the red pandas to access. The surface of the sphere 1 also has several sets of slides 12, each set corresponding to a feeding opening 11. Each set of slides 12 is slidably connected to a covering portion 2 for obscuring the feeding opening 11, with the covering portion 2 obscuring 50% to 75% of the total area of ​​the feeding opening 11. When the zookeeper cuts the food into pieces, the size of the food can be controlled, making it difficult for the red pandas to access the food from the unobstructed parts of the feeding openings 11. This allows the red pandas to perceive the food inside the sphere 1 but not directly access it, thereby increasing their interest in exploration. The shielding part 2 is connected to a T-shaped sliding rod 3, which can be screwed onto the shielding part 2. Rubber strips 4 are installed on opposite side walls of the slide rail 12, with a cavity between the two rubber strips 4. The sliding rod 3 is located within the cavity, and the rubber strips 4 are in contact with the sliding rod 3. Friction textures are formed on the side of the shielding part 2 away from the sphere 1. The texture of the friction textures is either interwoven vertically and horizontally or diagonally. During the repeated movement of the shielding part 2 by the panda, the nails are naturally worn down through contact friction, avoiding the stress and operational costs associated with manual trimming.

[0024] Specifically, the sphere 1 is composed of a first hemisphere 5 and a second hemisphere 6, and the two hemispheres 1 are connected by a connecting component 7.

[0025] In this utility model, the connecting component 7 has two structures;

[0026] The first type is:

[0027] The connecting component 7 includes a first snap-fit ​​piece 71 disposed inside the first hemisphere 5 and a second snap-fit ​​piece 72 disposed inside the second hemisphere 6. When the first hemisphere 5 and the second hemisphere 6 are engaged, the first snap-fit ​​piece 71 extends into the second hemisphere 6 and has a slot 711, one end of which is open and the other end is closed. When the second snap-fit ​​piece 72 is screwed into the slot 711, the two hemispheres 1 are connected into a whole.

[0028] In this structure, after the first hemisphere 5 and the second hemisphere 6 are engaged, rotating one of the hemispheres 1 or rotating the two hemispheres 1 in opposite directions causes the second snap-fit ​​piece 72 to be screwed into the slot 711, so that the two hemispheres 1 are connected into a whole.

[0029] In the second embodiment, the connecting component 7 includes a hinge 73. One end of the first hemisphere 5 and the second hemisphere 6 are connected by the hinge 73. The other end of the first hemisphere 5 is hinged to a buckle 74, and the other end of the second hemisphere 6 is connected to an L-shaped locking block 75. The buckle 74 has a hook-shaped portion 741 on the side facing the first hemisphere 5. When the hook-shaped portion 741 is connected to the locking block 75, the two hemispheres 1 are connected into a whole. The buckle 74 and the locking block 75 are made of plastic.

[0030] In this structure, the hook-shaped part 741 is separated from the locking block 75, and one end of each of the two hemispheres 1 can be rotated around the hinge 73 to open the sphere 1, so that the keeper can easily take out and put in food and clean the sphere 1.

[0031] Specifically, both the sphere 1 and the shielding part 2 are made of stainless steel.

[0032] Specifically, the surface of the sphere 1 is also provided with a hanging ring 8. The zookeeper can hang or tie the sphere 1 to a tree using the hanging ring 8. Of course, this invention can also be used on flat ground.

[0033] One specific application of this utility model is:

[0034] Before use, the zookeeper places appropriately sized food inside the sphere 1 and resets the covering part 2, so that it covers 50% to 75% of the total area of ​​the feeding opening 11, making it difficult for the red panda to obtain food from the uncovered part of the feeding opening 11. At this time, the red panda can sense the food inside the sphere 1, but cannot directly obtain the food. In the early stages of use, the zookeeper can demonstrate or guide the red panda to move the covering part 2. After moving the covering part 2, the covered area of ​​the feeding opening 11 gradually decreases, while the food is partially exposed from the feeding opening 11, establishing the causal relationship that "the displacement of the covering part equals the exposure of food"; so that in the later stages of use, the red panda can move the covering part 2 independently.

[0035] When the baffle is repeatedly moved, the red panda's nails rub against the friction pattern, which wears down the red panda's nails, thereby reducing the frequency of nail trimming and lowering the cost of feeding and management.

[0036] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that the specific embodiments described are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Equivalent modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art in accordance with the spirit of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A food enrichment ball for red pandas, characterized in that: The device includes a sphere with several feeding openings on its surface for the red panda to access food. The sphere also has several sets of slides, each corresponding to a feeding opening. Each set of slides is slidably connected to a shield to cover the feeding opening. The shield is connected to a T-shaped sliding rod. Rubber strips are installed on opposite side walls of the slides, with a cavity between two rubber strips. The sliding rod is located within the cavity, and the rubber strips are in contact with the sliding rod. Friction textures are formed on the side of the shield away from the sphere.

2. The enrichment food container for red pandas as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The sphere is composed of a first hemisphere and a second hemisphere, which are connected by a connecting component.

3. The enrichment food container for red pandas as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting component includes a first snap-fit ​​piece disposed inside the first hemisphere and a second snap-fit ​​piece disposed inside the second hemisphere. The first snap-fit ​​piece extends into the second hemisphere and has a slot, one end of which is open and the other end is closed. When the second snap-fit ​​piece is screwed into the slot, the two hemispheres are connected into a whole.

4. A red panda enrichment food container ball as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting component includes a hinge, one end of the first hemisphere and the second hemisphere are connected by the hinge, the other end of the first hemisphere is hinged with a buckle, and the other end of the second hemisphere is connected with an L-shaped locking block. The buckle has a hook-shaped part on the side facing the first hemisphere. When the hook-shaped part is connected with the locking block, the two hemispheres are connected into a whole.

5. A red panda enrichment food container ball as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Both the sphere and the shielding part are made of stainless steel.

6. A red panda enrichment food container ball as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the sphere is also provided with a hanging ring.

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