Page 330 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

302 12 Training Animals so They Can Return to the Wild

VetBooks.ir live. Marsupials that become independent of burrow mound, and either hide inside the
burrow, or call whilst facing the predator
parents shortly after leaving the pouch (e.g.
bilbies) may have little opportunity to obtain
to snake predators are quite different. When
social information about predators. By con- (Hoogland 1995). The prairie dogs responses
trast, in primates, extension of the period of a rattlesnake is encountered, the adults
parental care increases the opportunity for approach the snake, and head‐bob or jump
juveniles to socially acquire antipredator away whilst making ‘jump‐yip’ calls, which
behaviours from their parents. Likewise, can be accompanied by foot drumming
juveniles of highly social animals that live in (Owings and Owings 1979). After juveniles
extended family groups will have numerous emerge from their burrows, they remain
opportunities to interact with siblings, close to the burrow entrances, and exhibit
parents, and conspecifics. In many group liv- jump‐yip calls but they rarely bark or foot
ing species, the production of offspring is drum until they attain several months of age.
synchronised, and juveniles may therefore Thus, juveniles likely learn to identify and
have the opportunity to not only learn skills respond appropriately to predators via social
from their parents, but also from other par- interactions with mothers and experienced
ents and vigilant group members (Thornton group members.
and McAuliffe 2006). To see whether training juvenile prairie
For animals that live in groups, it is crucial dogs with experienced adults enhanced the
to incorporate social learning into predator juveniles’ ability to learn to identify preda-
training regimes. Shier and Owings research tors, Shier and Owings (2007) trapped 36
on black‐tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovi- wild prairie dogs from 8 females and brought
cianus) provides a good example of how this them into captivity shortly after the juveniles
can be done (Shier and Owings 2006, 2007). emerged from their burrows. They housed
The black‐tailed prairie dog is a colonial spe- each female with her litter in a separate wire
cies from North America that lives in social meshed field enclosure (2 × 2 × 3 m) with a
groups called coteries. Typically, coteries mesh roof. Each focal juvenile was given a
consist of several adult females, one adult pre‐training test (in the absence of litter-
male, yearling males and females, and juve- mates or mothers) to assess their antipreda-
niles. Prairie dog populations have declined tor responses to the test stimuli (below).
dramatically across North America (Kotliar Juveniles were randomly allocated to three
et al. 2006) and efforts to conserve this spe- groups: (i) trained with experienced adult
cies have involved reintroducing animals to (either their mother or close relative); (ii)
areas where the species has gone locally trained with inexperienced sibling; or (iii)
extinct (Truett et al. 2001; Long et al. 2006). trained alone. The researchers then trained
As with other reintroductions, the success or the juveniles to avoid predators over five
failure of such programmes will depend on weeks, with two presentations of predators
whether or not reintroduced animals can per week. Trials involved exposing animals in
respond appropriately to multiple predators. each treatment group to the following stim-
Numerous predators, including raptors, uli for ten minutes: (i) a live black‐footed
snakes, weasels, coyotes (Canis latrans), and ferret (Mustela nigripes); (ii) a moving,
bobcats (Lynx rufus) all prey on prairie dogs. stuffed red tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis);
When adult prairie dogs detect raptors or (iii) a live prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus vir-
mammalian predators, they bark repeatedly idis); and (iv) a live desert cotton tail
to warn offspring and other group members (Sylvilagus auduboni), which served as a
about the approaching predator. Bark alarm predator control. The live predator or cotton
calls elicit scanning behaviours by other tail was placed in a mesh box in the prairie
group members, and if the predator is dog enclosure, whereas the hawk was
detected, individuals typically run to a attached to a wire and was released such that