Page 278 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

250 10 Making Training Educational for Zoo Visitors

VetBooks.ir between visitor expectation of zoos to meet is acknowledged that these scenarios can
overlap, be used interchangeably, or occur
high conservation and animal welfare stand-
ards, and their concurrent expectation for
categories. Wherever possible we have
the convenient and ease of viewing a range of along a spectrum, rather than within discrete
different exotic species (Kellert 1996). Added attempted to delineate the areas of overlap or
to this is the increase in consumer demand discrepancy, but felt it necessary to establish
for an entertainment‐factor in their purchas- consistent uses for the terms involved.
ing decisions, including how they spend their With all three types of demonstrations,
leisure time (Balloffet et al. 2014). This neces- there is potential for significant overlap
sitates that zoos find ways to combine enter- whereby a mixture of two or all three types of
tainment with education (Ballantyne et al. activities may be used in a single educational
2007; Reading and Miller 2007), but avoid the programme or event. A classic example of
risks of this so‐called ‘edutainment’ (Balloffet this would be sea lion displays that include
et al. 2014). trained performances of natural behaviours
The approach of combining education (e.g. swimming, porpoising) alongside an
with entertaining experiences manifests in a interpreted educational commentary, with
range of visitor experiences that involve elements of unnatural behaviours (e.g. ball
trained or habituated animals. In this regards, balancing). This may be used for educational
animal presentations offer a unique and purposes (e.g. demonstrating the use of the
viable marker between education and enter- vibrissae) or more entertainment purposes,
tainment in zoos, and are themselves viewed followed by a member of the audience being
as an important component of visitor expec- selected for a personal ‘meet and greet’ at the
tations. In a large survey of European school end of the show (e.g. a kiss, flipper‐shake, or
children, 75% of the respondents cited stroke). Likewise, in a number of cases, the
contact with animals or watching animals in demonstration may be no more than an ani-
shows as being one of the positive roles that mal training session, often for medical hus-
zoos play (Almeida et al. 2017). However, the bandry purposes, that is interpreted by a
terminology applied to these presentations commentator (Anderson et al. 2003; Price
can be as diverse as the programmes them- et al. 2015; Szokalski et al. 2013; Visscher
selves, and some even have undesired conno- et al. 2009) and which therefore does not
tations. For example, zoos may prefer to strictly fall into any of the categories. In these
avoid the word ‘show’ or ‘performance’ for scenarios the behaviours being trained may
fear that it portrays an exploitation of the appear unnatural (e.g. presenting an arm for
animals, or be considered too similar to injection, or a foot for nail clipping or hoof
circus‐type acts that zoos may wish to dis- trimming), but the welfare‐based rationale
tance themselves from, which may determine for their performance would suggest these
the policies under which zoos operate. The are better classified as presentations than
importance of the terminology used to performances.
market and promote these educational pro-
grammes may, to some, be overestimated;
simply reflecting a case of unnecessary 10.2 The Species Involved
semantics. However, to others it is impera-
tive that programme terminology aligns with The species used in educational demonstra-
the ethical standpoint of the zoo, and aims to tions range from small invertebrates
focus public perception on the animals as such as Madagascan hissing cockroaches
willing participants in their ambassadorial (Gromphadorhina portentosa), to much larger
role. For the purposes of this chapter, we vertebrates such as tigers (Panthera tigris spp.)
have attempted to define three types of ani- and sharks (Selachimorpha clade). Although
mal demonstrations (Table 10.1), although it zoos are perhaps best known for their housing