Page 352 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

324 13 Last but in Fact Most Importantly … Health and Safety

VetBooks.ir and unhelpful stigma exists due to the com- professionals and their employers to safe-
guard the health and well‐being of each indi-
mon misconception that free‐contact manage-
ment equates to punishment‐based training
training process. Several health and safety
and that protected‐contact management is vidual and every animal involved in the
synonymous with positive reinforcement‐ principles and practices can be implemented
based training. In fact, there are no functional to provide safe interactions during the train-
restrictions on what type of consequence that ing process.
can be used in either management system. Establishing a culture of safety: everyone in
Free‐contact and protected‐contact are ●
animal management practices that define, in the organisation must care about and be
responsible for a safe work environment.
principle, whether zoo professionals share This includes the development of, and
the same space with an animal. This simple adherence to health and safety policies and
definition is also misleading because this procedures that keep employees and ani-
animal management issue is not a binary con- mals safe.
cept. In practice, a spectrum of choices exist The process of training animals must be
which determine the degree to which zoo ● grounded in safety: the work areas and
professionals share space with animals. training tools must provide for the safe
Management choices can go from complete interactions with animals during training.
unrestricted access to absolutely no contact Direct physical interaction with animals
with animals and everything in between. must go through a thoughtful risk assess-
Protected‐contact as its name implies is ment to ensure the continued safety of zoo
designed to provide an additional degree of professionals. These individuals must
safety for animal care staff and zoo profes- always remember that they are working
sionals through some form of restrictive bar- with potentially dangerous animals and
rier. Contact is still allowed but limited by the this fact does not change because they live
design of the barrier and policies and proto- under human care.
cols written to guide the actions of the staff. Whilst training animals, zoo professionals
Whilst protected‐contact can be safer for zoo ● must maintain situational awareness:
professionals it is no guarantee. Zoo profes- keeping one’s senses keen allows for an
sionals have gotten injured and even killed in accurate perception of the state of the ani-
protected‐contact. Danger is still present and mal and the training environment. This
some may argue greater due to the fact that focus allows for the comprehension of the
the barriers in protected‐contact can produce current situation that leads to good deci-
a false sense of security. Complacency when sion‐making and actions that can keep the
working around dangerous animals can cause zoo professional and the animal safe.
harm no matter what type of management As important, the zoo professional must
system is in place. It is up to each individual ● guard against conditions that can reduce sit-
zoo professional to maintain a heightened uational awareness. These include one’s own
awareness and follow safe practices when physical and mental condition, distractions
working around all dangerous animals.
and stressors in the training environment,
and fixation on the training task at hand. The
13.8 Summary zoo professional must quickly recognise
these threats and immediately act to be safe,
which could include not starting or aborting
Animal training has had a significant, positive a training session that is in progress.
effect on the care and welfare of zoo animals
under professional care. The process of modi- By promoting a culture of safety, zoos and
fying the behaviour of zoo animals places zoo aquariums can realise the full benefit of ani-
professionals in close proximity of potentially mal training programmes thereby ensuring
dangerous animals. It is incumbent on zoo their continued success into the future.