Houdini doesn’t sing for his supper

It’s all very puzzling for Houdini, a North Pacific giant octopus at the award-winning Oceanarium in Bournemouth.

As part of an ongoing environmental enrichment programme at the visitor attraction, staff have custom built the creature his very own acrylic ‘food puzzle’, to provide increased mental stimulation.

A series of interlocking chambers hides food from Houdini, who has to use his unique physiology and dexterity to search for his dinner.

The octopus, who can already unscrew jar lids to get to tasty morsels, took delivery of his specially designed ‘food puzzle’, just in time to celebrate Puzzle Day at the end of January.           

Oliver Buttling, Group Curator of the Oceanarium, Bournemouth, said: “Environmental enrichment is a critical part of creature care at the Oceanarium. In the wild the North Pacific giant octopus faces a multitude of challenges when hunting. As a result it has evolved to become a proficient nocturnal hunter, using its physiology and at times just its touch, to capture its prey.

“By introducing the custom built ‘food puzzle’ we are able to replicate the challenges the creature would face in the wild when hunting for food. Already intelligent, the ‘food puzzle’ will continue to test the octopus’ mental abilities.”