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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