Page 179 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

8.3 Identifying the Philosophy and Expectations 151

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Figure 8.2 Team of zoo professionals working together with the Asian elephant Elephas maximus trained to
voluntarily accept foot laser therapy. Source: Denver Zoo.

addition to ongoing coaching and feedback, is not in a management position. Having
providing specific and measurable written clear expectations can ultimately be a relief
goals for the coming year and feedback on for all involved. Providing expectations can
past performance at employee reviews should help align a team, when, for example, some
be common practice. Expectations can include members want to spend all of their time
specifics, such as: ‘Bill will: shift all hoofstock training and interacting with the animals and
over the scale platform three times a week other members do not want to spend any
during the normal shifting routine; weigh and time training or interacting with the ani­
record all animal weights monthly; review mals. Written expectations for realising your
progress at monthly team meetings’ or ‘Kelli philosophy can also provide a big sense of
will train hippo “Buttons” for a tusk trim to be accomplishment when goals are ultimately
completed by January 15, which requires that achieved.
a training plan is submitted to the manager by Training philosophy documents and pro­
October 1 for review, all session documenta­ grammes will look different at different facil­
tion and milestone updates will be entered ities, with different teams, and with different
into the daily report system. For the training animal species. There is no single answer for
goal to be considered complete, the hippo how long a training session should be, or how
should be comfortable with Jennifer also able many training sessions per day should take
to successfully request/cue this behaviour and place. For example, a team working with a
perform the trim’. collection of primates, carnivores, and birds
If a team or leader has never gone through who have the facilities and access to the ani­
the process of creating written expectations, mals throughout the day may have extensive
they may be initially hesitant, feeling that the training goals outlined with multiple training
process represents micromanaging or an opportunities provided throughout the week
interfering boss. This process may be more with individual animals. By contrast, another
difficult still if that person has been put in team may have multiple groups of hoofstock,
charge of running a training programme but kept on a savanna ‘outdoor’ exhibit all day,