Animal training is a key part to a Zookeeper’s role, it allows us to capture certain behaviours and ask the animal to perform them on command. It sounds straight forward but depending on what you are trying to capture can take as little as one training session, to a years’ worth of work.

Basil standing in water in future preparation should he ever require feet washes. This behaviour took 6 weeks to achieve.

Meg

Meg is an 8-year-old Border-Collie that was bred on a farm, at the age of 6 weeks the breeder forced us to collect her as she did not want to keep the puppies with the mother anymore, so we ended up biting off more than we could chew so to speak. Meg was a complete nightmare which is to be expected at that age, puppies should stay with their mothers until they are 10 weeks of age, this is how puppies learn right from wrong so Meg didn’t know the boundaries.

We also didn’t really know what we were doing and of course have made many mistakes with her, however, I spent a lot of time with Meg over the first few years of her life and I took her down to the stables when I went to see my Horse where she got used to yard life, she really enjoyed it. I spent a long time researching training methods and understanding how to correct Megs behaviour, I took her along to puppy classes and trialled obedience classes also.

I managed to teach Meg a range of behaviours from:

• Crawling
• Barking
  
• Whispering
• Small howls
• Touching the ball with her nose
• High-five
• Down
• Spin
• Play dead
• Shut the door
• Bring the paper
• Bring slippers belonging to different people
• Bringing the shopping in
• Wait
• Slow walk

The list goes on. Meg LOVES a ball so that was always her reward, sometimes she would do 3 or 4 behaviours, other times she will do 12-20 behaviours before she gets it. She has such amazing patience and loves her work. All her training has been done using positive reinforcement methods. Here is a short video of her performing a variety of the above.

Zoos and Animal Training

All captive animals throughout the world at one stage will be handled for an array of purposes such as medical treatment, transportation and routine veterinary procedures for a few examples. It is found that handling animals causes stress which can be reduced through positive consequences that the animal associates the situation with such as patting and stroking, overall this will decrease their fear and aversion. Animals learn through experience that handling is either positive or neutral meaning a positive or neutral relationship can be formed with the handler.
For many species in a zoo, handling would be dangerous for both keeper and animal with concerns that too much exposure could be detrimental to breeding programs due to changes in their behaviour.

In zoos, their environments are constantly being manipulated, that influences their behaviour that occurs through daily husbandry that is sometimes referred to as ‘passive training’, as the animal learns something about the human activity rather than the behaviour being determined by the trainer.

Ronnie stepping on the weigh board without being asked. He had learnt this through passive training.

Positive Reinforcement Training

The most frequent method used to train animals is based on operant condition techniques that reinforces a behaviour and increases the likelihood it will occur again.

If an animal moves away or avoids a stimulus this is negative reinforcement training, whereas if the animal moves towards the stimulus this is positive reinforcement training. If a behaviour performed by the animal is ignored or punished this will less likely occur again. One of the most influential and experienced trainers that all zookeepers are aware of is Steve Martin. In his talks, he discusses “setting animals up to succeed” meaning that if you act appropriately to a behaviour you should only need to reinforce the animal and reward them for performing the correct behaviour rather than having you punish the animal for performing the behaviour you did not want.

Source: here

Animals Training in a zoo

There is a strong debate upon which animals should or should not be trained in zoos with both sides of the argument discussing the benefits and problems that are associated with the practise.

Benefits	Problems
Facilitates husbandry	Increases domestication
Improves health and welfare	Can be invasive
It is highly enriching	May alter the animal’s behaviour towards humans, animals and conservation value
Improves reintroduction success of released animals

Training in zoos is used to modify behaviour of the animals for a variety of reasons

• Husbandry
• Conservation & Reintroduction
• Research
• Presentations
• Education

There are no boundaries upon which an animal can be trained but only competent staff can train animals with specific goals and guidance approved by senior management.
Examples of trained behaviours for zoos include animals trained to stand and show a certain aspect of their body for blood withdrawals such as tails and feet, catch and restraint, box training where the animal willing will enter a box to be moved or being lead trained.

Historically animals were trained for pure entertainment whereas nowadays the changes in visitor attitudes to zoos have meant the traditional animal performances (animals acting like people) are not as well received and are viewed as inappropriate in today’s culture. Today animals performing in “shows” are trained for husbandry techniques explaining to visitors why the animal is performing the behaviour, what it is used for, highlighting innate abilities or to portray a conservation or environmental message. Training sessions provide a great and effective way to teach members of the public the principles of operant conditioning training.

Training animals in zoos allows for simple routine husbandry procedures to take place that could be a stressful atmosphere for the animals.

Basil

Basil is a special little goat, I have been training him as mentioned before, since he was 2 months old to target train, walk on the lead and to put his full trust in me. Over the past 2 years Basil has come on leaps and bounds performing a variety of behaviours such as picking up his feet for us to trim them without restraint, to follow me wherever I go, to stand up on his hind legs to show his genitals and also his stomach where goats can get a lot of nasty skin complaints. Currently Basil is learning to open his mouth after having surgery this year to remove two teeth so that we can see if his teeth that will naturally migrate into the spaces are not affecting him any further. He is also re-learning restraint as after this year and the issues he faced written Here his confidence has taken quite a knock so this is a big goal to reach for next summer.

SeaWorld

I can’t do a training post without touching upon SeaWorld.

They are a first-class zoo for their animal husbandry and training as well as for rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals. Without SeaWorld, zoos these days would not have the research and knowledge they have as we look to SeaWorld for information, support and guidance when we need it.
Historically the trainers and Whales would work within the same space and yes, their training was showing off a variety of natural behaviours but in my opinion perhaps demonstrated in the wrong way. I am personally not a huge fan of the trainers riding upon the noses of a Whale or on the back of a Dolphin, I am however a HUGE fan of their conservation message, their training methods, their enrichment program, their passion and drive, their ability to stand up to these so called “animal rights charities”, their ability to provide the public with amazing results from their research and showcasing their incredible welfare. I have yes been to a SeaWorld park and seen Orca whales in captivity for myself and I agree that large cetaceans and other species of animals should not be in a zoo, however, the wild is no longer safe from pollution, poaching, habitat loss and fragmentation, soon there will be no wild left. Without the Whales in captivity whether they should or shouldn’t be there they have provided us with fundamental research and knowledge to be able to help save their wild cousins. No whale has been caught for captivity in 35 years.

I highly encourage you to read @herpetologyguy Views on Seaworld & Blackfish Analysis

Final thoughts

As a keeper, I have learnt many techniques over the past few years in animal behaviour and training that has allowed me to put it all to the test and train a little goat to perform very important natural behaviours to enable his husbandry and welfare to improve. I have also begun to develop junior staff to train their assigned goats behaviours that will aid us in catching and restraint for routine procedures.

When seeing Basil train or Meg perform her behaviours for a ball it is clear to see it is highly enriching for them and they are incredibly responsive to what is asked of them. If Basil sees or even hears me at work he anticipates any training and runs over to me, or will continue to follow me around or wait at his gate to come out for training. Basil has now started to work with another trainer to reduce his need of me to train him so that again will improve his welfare and reduce stress of not training when he sees me. Training has many both positive and negative outcomes and it is important all training is conducted under experienced guidance.
I hope that when you next spend time with your favourite animal you will open your mind to the endless training possibilities available to you and what you can achieve to improve their welfare and husbandry, whether that is your pet Dog or Cat, your Horse or even your pet Bird. The possibilities are endless.

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Sources & extra reading

Steve Martin
Seaworld Training
Book Hosey. G, Melfi. V, Pankhurst. S (2013). Zoo Animals - Behaviour, Management and Welfare. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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For more Zookeepers life editions check out

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

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Any questions feel free to ask!