In the Periyar Tiger Reserve in India it is noted that tigers and leopards prefer the bishopwood tree for clawing. So, this tree could be a great environmental enrichment feature in zoos.
During a research project conducted in the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala, India, wildlife researcher N.K. Xavier made a remarkable observation. While collecting tiger scat samples he saw a tree with noticeable scratch marks on the bark. The scratches were long, deep, vertical and as high as six feet. This indicated that they were made by Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris) and/or leopards (Panthera pardus). The marks could not have been made by sloth bears for instance, as this bear climbs a tree by grabbing the trunk from either side, leaving horizontal and curved scratch mark shapes. The most remarkable thing was that no other trees showed any of such scratch marks. It turned out that the same observation was made in other parts of the Tiger Reserve. The tree is called ‘Chorakkali’ by the local indigenous people, which means ‘tree with blood-stained leg’, because of the pale red sap that oozes from the scratched bark. The tree species was identified as the bishopwood tree (Bischofia javanica), and is distributed throughout south-east Asia, including China, and as far as Australia and Polynesia.
Clawing, or scratching, is a well documented normal behaviour of domestic and big cats which serves several purposes. It is a stretching exercise leaving scent marks from the glands in the footpath in addition to visual marks on the surface of the scratching post to mark their territory. Furthermore, it serves to condition the claws by removing the old worn-out external sheaths and exposing the healthy new claws.
Therefore it is suggested that this tree can serve as an effective item of environmental enrichment when planted inside tiger and leopard enclosures in zoos. At least for Bengal tigers and leopards.
(Source: CATnews, no. 56 — spring 2012)
