Page 116 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

88 5 What Is There to Learn in a Zoo Setting?

VetBooks.ir Learning to attend to human gaze and read
body language has been well studied in mam-
mals, for example in primates (Hare and
Tomasello 2005), domestic horses (Dorey
et al. 2014; Proops and McComb 2010),
domestic dogs (Shepherd 2010), and goats
(Nawroth and McElligott 2017). Begging
behaviour towards humans is also worthy of
mention here. Carlstead et al. (1991) state
that bears (Ursidae) can easily develop beg-
ging habits in zoos as a frustrated appetitive
activity, and has similarly been observed in
Asian short‐clawed otters Aonyx cinereus
(Gothard 2007). Begging behaviour has also
been observed in zoo‐housed orangutans
Pongo spp. (Choo et al. 2011) and lion‐tailed
macaques Macaca silenus (Mallapur et al.
2005) in response to visitor presence.

5.4.2 Finding Food

Even though zoo animals are fed routinely by
their caregivers, sometimes multiple times a
day and often predictably over the course of a
Figure 5.3 Mixed species exhibits can offer many year (i.e. without significant seasonal varia-
learning opportunities; the example here comprises tion), zoo animals still have to learn what is
of the North African barbary sheep Ammotragus
lervia and gelada baboons Theropithecus gelada. good to eat within the provided diet, and
Source: Jeroen Stevens. where and how to get it. The feeding of zoo

Figure 5.4 Social interactions for zoo animals should include those which occur between the animals and
their caregivers; illustrated here as a positive interaction between an okapi Okapia johnstoni and their keeper.
Source: Jeroen Stevens.