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214 Box B6 Positive Reinoorcement to Enhance Weloare oo Primates

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Figure B6.3 Incorporation of training into primate husbandry regimes can lead to various benefits, especially
those which lead to maintaining and supporting good health. Source: Jim Mackie.

procedures (e.g. see Figure B6.3). However, asking them to choose who conducts the
there is still a considerable way to go with training; will help maintain motivation and
certain groups such as the nocturnal spe- enhance welfare. According to legislation in
cies, where the provision of larger enclo- the UK, each training programme should
sures would enable more comprehensive ‘provide a net welfare benefit to the animal’
training programmes. Additionally, there is (Defra 2012), which is a crucial directive as
increasingly a greater appreciation in the it takes away the human agenda from train-
zoo community that training does not auto- ing. Additionally it is important to use
matically equate to improved animal wel- training appropriately. As zoo keepers
fare. Zoo professionals must consider ways become better at training animals we must
of giving the animal greater choice and con- avoid the temptation to use it to solve prob-
trol during training sessions, continually lems which should be achieved by other
assessing the welfare potential of each means such as enrichment or enclosure
training programme. Adding a greater vari- design. Perhaps the most important criteria
ety of behaviours and reinforcers, offering for training is that it must be engaging,
the animal greater power to decide when challenging but not stressful, and above all
and where the training happens, and even … fun!

References

DEFRA (2012). Secretary of State’s Standards Husbandry‐Manual/Positive‐Reinforcement‐
of Modern Zoo Practice. Department for Training.pdf (accessed 30 October 2018).
Environment Food and Rural Affairs https:// Kessell‐Davenport, A. and Gutierrez, T. (1994).
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ Training captive chimpanzees for movement
government/uploads/system/uploads/ in a transfer box. https://awionline.org/
attachment_data/file/69596/standards‐of‐ content/training‐captive‐chimpanzees‐
zoo‐practice.pdf. movement‐transfer‐box (accessed 30
Franklin, J.A. (2005). Orangutan husbandry October 2018).
manual, positive reinforcement training. Prescott, M.J. and Buchanan‐Smith, H.M.
https://www.czs.org/custom.czs/media/ (2003). Training non‐human primates
CenterAnimalWelfare/Orangutan‐ using positive reinforcement techniques.