Page 162 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

134 7 The Art of ‘Active’ Training

VetBooks.ir to swim to a rock on the island across the able to give the end of session cue, leave the
area of the lions and go fully inside the office,
pool from the trainer’s exit. Using a variable
duration schedule the trainer increased the
behaviour.
amount of time between reinforcers as the then come back to reinforce the lion’s calm
sea lion sat on the rock. The trainer then took The trainer then found other ways to rein-
a couple of steps towards the exit and tossed force calm behaviour. Before each indoor
the sea lion a fish to reinforce the behaviour training session, he scattered enrichment
of sitting on the rock as the trainer moved items and hid food treats in the exhibit. At
towards the exit. The trainer made a few the end of the training session, the trainer
steps forward, tossed the sea lion another gave an end of session cue and when the lions
fish and then went back on the spot on the showed calm behaviour he opened the shift
path where he started. He repeated these door to the outdoor exhibit. Access to the
steps until he could leave through the gate, variety and value of treats and enrichment in
and then come back to reinforce the station- the exhibit became reinforcers for calm
ing behaviour of the sea lion. Soon, the end of behaviour after the end of session cue.
session cue meant go to the rock across the
pool and wait for the trainer to go to the gate.
As the sea lion sat on the rock, the trainer 7.4 Training Specific
came back and reinforced the behaviour with Behaviours
varying type and quantity of primary and
secondary reinforcers. 7.4.1 Target Training
Two male lions at another zoo worked per-
fectly in their training sessions until the One of the first behaviours many trainers
keeper gave the end of session cue, which teach animals in zoos it to touch its nose or
resulted in the lions’ loud vocalisations and other body part on a target (Figure 7.4). This
feet clawing at the bars. This behaviour con- target can be the end of a stick, a ball on the
tinued for years because the trainers were end of a stick, a balled‐up fist, or any other
instructed to always give an end of session object that the trainer can move around from
cue to their animals when they ended a ses- place to place. Animals can learn to touch a
sion. On a suggestion from another trainer, target with their nose, hand, foot, side, or
they developed a plan to replace aggressive almost any body part. Targets can be used in
behaviour with calm behaviour in response protected contact by placing them just out-
to the end of session cue. The trainer gave the side the barrier and the animal will touch the
end of session cue and immediately gave a inside of the barrier at the location of the tar-
piece of food to the lions. After a few repeti- get. Targets increase motivation for some
tions of associating the cue with the reinforc- animals’ approach behaviour, give clear
ers, the trainer had shaped calm behaviour directional cues, provide safer training envi-
that replaced the previous aggressive behav- ronments, and generally give trainers a tool
iour when the cue was presented. The trainer for moving animals with more precision,
then used a variable duration schedule of comfort, and fluidity. Laser dots are also used
reinforcement to extend the amount of time as targets when animals are taught to touch
the lions performed the calm behaviour the dot. Teaching an animal to touch a laser
before reinforcement. After calm behaviour dot with its nose can be dangerous if the laser
of about five seconds was on a high level of hits the animal’s eye for a prolonged period
stimulus control, the trainer began moving of time, which is why some trainers prefer to
away from the barrier after giving the cue teach animals to touch laser dots with their
and reinforced approximations of calm hand, foot, or finger.
behaviour as he walked away from the lions. A long duration hold is an important part
In this one training session the keeper was of target training. Using a variable duration