Zoos Gone Wild!

CINCINNATI, Oct. 13, 2005 — -- The newest attractions at the Cincinnati Zoo aren't cute baby pandas or cuddly tiger cubs. Instead, zoo administrators are introducing papier-mâché animals stuffed with raw meat and spritzed with designer perfume.

The dolls are enough to drive a cheetah wild.

With attendance sagging at many of the nation's zoos, administrators realize the limited appeal of lounging lions, tired tigers and bored bears.

"We like to see the animals active and they like to see their faces," said one zoo-goer.

So zoos now feature what they call enrichment activities to keep the animals – as well as visitors – active and engaged.

"They get excited when we do a lot of new things," said Cecil Jackson, elephant manager at the Cincinnati Zoo.

In San Diego, guests spend close to $100 to witness firsthand the raw speed of a cheetah, the fastest animal on land, chasing a stuffed rabbit on a string.

Zookeepers also provide apes with bubbles to play with, put fake snow in the pandas' living quarters, and put fish in trees for the bears.

At Illinois' Brookfield Zoo, visitors get an up-close look at animals foraging for food. Giraffes are given a mixture of fruits, vegetables and hamburger buns for a snack.

The idea is to approximate behavior in the wild. But critics say these activities blur the line between zoos and circus-like entertainment that exploits the animals.

"It's certainly not a plan to try to make animals suddenly have ADD [attention-deficit disorder], but the idea of trying to reflect what they would do in the wild," said Thane Maynard, vice president of public information at the Cincinnati Zoo.

The animals don't always cooperate. The sea lions, at times, seem disinterested in the hard work of chasing their lunch, knowing it will eventually be served by hand.

ABC News' Barbara Pinto filed this report for "World News Tonight."