Project Description:

Sensory stimulation is often provided to zoo animals in order to provide healthy and effective enrichment. While zookeepers at the Maryland Zoo provide elephants with enrichment sources that challenge the animals physically, they are looking for ways to stimulate the elephant’s other senses. Our solution is a device that produces olfactory stimuli in a controlled manner. The device is placed outside the elephants’ enclosure by the elephant zookeepers and activated remotely.

Project Photo:

Elescent being tested with Felix, one of the elephants at the Maryland Zoo

Student Team Members

• Caitlyn Bernhard
• Zachary Ellis
• Ayomide Fadipe
• Kyle Velez
• Sabrina Wang

Course Faculty

Project Mentors, Sponsors, and Partners

• The Maryland Zoo
• Mike McClure, General Curator/Elephant Collection Manager
• Rebecca Stennett, Elephant Collection Specialist
• Alissa Burkholder Murphy
• Rena Liu