Planning the daily care, feeding, and enrichment of our 150+ animals is no easy task! The cost of the items we need every day can add up, but donations can help us provide the best possible care. Below is a list of household and easy-to-find items that we use on a regular basis. If you have a favorite animal that you'd like to purchase a specialty item for, check out our Amazon.com Wish List; from chew toys for the chinchilla and rabbits to heavy-duty plastic barrels and balls for the big cats, there's an amazing assortment of items to choose from.
Download the Wish List Visit our Amazon Wish List
Please remember: Food items need to be in their original, unopened package and within their expiration date. If you have questions about any donated item please contact the Zoo Curator at 806-681-5612.
- Medium bird toys (for Amazon parrot, African grey, Sulfur-crested cockatoo)
- Large bird toys (for Moluccan cockatoo, macaws)
- Perches for medium and large birds
- Kitty litter (clumping kind)
- Rawhide chews (all sizes and flavors)
- Large Kong dog toys
- Kong toy treat fillers
- Paper bags (all sizes)
- Large empty kegs (for lion and tiger toys)
- Newspaper (no ads or shiny inserts)
- Old phone books
- Empty carpet tubes
- Large appliance boxes (i.e. refrigerator, freezer, etc.)
- Cob bedding (at Texotic Pets)
- Carefresh bedding (neutral tan color, at Petco or Petsmart)
- Sugar-free jello (all flavors)
- Breakfast bars (Nutrigrain fruit bars)
- Fig newtons or other fruit newtons
- Peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
- Canned pumpkin
- Applesauce (unsweetened)
- Fruit and vegetable juices (all natural, no added sugar)
- Jams, jellies and marmalades (all natural, no added sugar)
- Cheerios or Raisin Bran or store brand equivalent—for spider monkey, lemur or black bear treats
- Pasta (uncooked, all shapes)
- Dried herbs and spices (i.e. cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, oregano, basil, catnip, chili powder, rosemary, thyme, cloves, non-salt herbs)
- Extracts (any flavor)
- Animal scents (i.e. deer urine, fox urine, etc.—at sporting good stores)
- Bath towels (new or gently used—no holes or frayed edges)
- Fleece blankets (new or gently used—no holes or frayed edges)
- Pillowcases (new or gently used—king size only)
- Tarps (all sizes)
- Play sand (for reptile exhibits)
- Eco Earth substrate for reptiles (at Petco or Petsmart)
- Repti-Bark substrate for reptiles (at Petco or Petsmart)
- Mixed nuts in shells (walnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, hazelnuts—for bird treats)
- Dried fruit mixes (bananas, raisins, cranberries, apricots, plums, mango, etc.)
- Honey (for black bears)
- Whole rolled oats or oatmeal (for keeping mealworms)
- Mealworms (for reptiles)
- Chinchilla dust
- Chew toys (for rabbits, chinchillas and prairie dogs)
- Large plastic exercise wheel (for hedgehog)
- Greens (turnip, collard, mustard, dandelion—for reptiles)
- Seasonal fruits (i.e. melons, pomegranates, berries)
- Jolly Balls (for horses and donkeys)
- 5-gal timed scatter feeder (5-gal Moultrie timed feeder from Gander Mtn.—for hoofstock and black bears)
- Heated water bowls (at Petco or Petsmart)
- Ice cube trays (various shapes and sizes for making frozen enrichments)
- Enrichment items from Otto Environmental
- Enrichment items from Boomerball
- Enrichment items from Aussie Dog
- Gift cards are always appreciated (from pet stores such as Petco, Petsmart and Texotic Pets; feed stores such as Gebo’s, Rancher’s Supply and Bushland Mercantile; Home Depot, Lowe’s, Hobby Lobby, Walmart)
