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11.5  What Behaviours Should Be Trained?  277

  VetBooks.ir  (Merzenich et al. 2013); the more a behaviour   these behaviours are trained, whereas in this
                                                      chapter we’re concerned with the impact that
             is  repeated  the  easier  the brain  finds it to
             repeat that behaviour in the future. Most of
                                                      have on the animals’ welfare. There are obvi-
             us are more than aware of the power of habit-  the expression of these behaviours might
             ual behaviour to occur without conscious   ous safety implications which need to be con-
             thought or to override it (Lally and Gardner   sidered  when planning  and implementing
             2013). When we establish zoo animal train-  zoo animal training programmes, for exam-
             ing programmes to ‘encourage’ animals to per-  ple whilst performing the behaviour the
             form the behaviours we require, regardless of     animal should had adequate physical space
             the circumstances (internal and environmen-  to  manoeuvre and actions should be taken
             tally) the animal finds itself in, we are in effect   to  ensure  falls  or  slips  are  unlikely  (see
             aiming to create behavioural habitats, wherein   Chapter 13). There are also a number of other
             by definition, animals no longer choose   potentially less obvious considerations, which
             whether they take part or not in the requested   might determine what behaviours are likely to
             behaviour. This also means that once a train-  be trained.
             ing programme has successfully established a   Despite the large number and variety of
             behaviour, that an animal has learned after a   animals which are trained in zoos, to achieve
             specified cue a particular behaviour is   a large number of different goals, the types of
             required, any and all positive ramifications   behaviours most commonly trained are quite
             associated with training due to it providing an   small. Frequently animals are taught to move
             learning opportunity can no longer be justi-  (sometimes referred to A–B), or stay still
             fied, i.e. that it is enriching (e.g. Melfi 2013).  (station), to present a part of their body, or
               With  all  that  we have  discussed in  this   perform a naturally occurring behaviour on
               section, and to be honest a theme within this   cue. Successfully achieving this small num-
             chapter more generally, there is huge scope   ber of behaviours can support the promotion
             for variation in how training is delivered by   of animal welfare (i.e. veterinary checks),
             us and perceived by the animals we are   facilitate operational demands (i.e. moving
             working  with.  To  suggest  that  there  is  one   animals within their enclosure), and achieve
             hard and fast rule by which to interpret   wider zoo missions (i.e. educational activities
             whether training programmes provide con-  with conservation messaging). How the
             trol and choice to the animals involved,   expression of behaviours affects the animals’
             would be to ignore the richness which    welfare, can be affected by context, i.e. there
             encompasses the art and science of animal   might be social implications, but it is not
             training; and the differences in those people   influenced by how we as people perceive the
             practising  training  and  the  animals  taking   behaviour. We feel it important to consider
             part. What we want to highlight, is that ani-  this latter point early in this discussion, as we
             mal training programmes need to be consid-  can sometimes confuse how we feel about an
             ered by the activities performed rather than   animal performing a behaviour, with the
             by the professional terminology often used   likely impact it has on the animal. For exam-
             to describe training whether to peers or   ple, if we consider the simple A–B behaviour.
             those outside of the profession.         We might watch an animal being moved
                                                      between areas of its enclosure as part of hus-
                                                      bandry, being achieved using a cue and
             11.5   What Behaviours                   reward, and consider training to have posi-
             Should Be Trained?                       tively progressed animal welfare. Especially
                                                      when historical alternatives might have
             Zoo animals can be trained to perform a wide   included brooms, loud noises or water jets,
             variety  of different behaviours. Throughout   different forms of negative reinforcement, or
             this book other authors have considered how   positive punishment to move the animal out
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