Page 355 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

327

VetBooks.ir

Box C1

Training Animals in a Group Setting
Kirstin Anderson‐Hansen

There are few institutions that are fortunate To be able to separate spatially more than
enough to have one trainer per animal and one person is required, where one person
therefore in most facilities, it is necessary for has one animal whilst the other person
the trainer to train multiple animals at once. has the other animal or animals in a group
This is both challenging and difficult, both training situation (see Figure C1.1a). To
for the trainer and for the animals. train the animals to comfortably separate,
One of the primary reasons for training the animals should be trained near each
our animals is to increase the animal’s well‐ other at the beginning then slowly
being by creating situations for the animal to increase the distance between the trainers
be mentally and physically challenged. This with small approximations. Since this is
can be compromised if the guidelines set by usually a counter conditioning situation,
the facility are inconsistent with how to train the approximations should always be
animals in a group setting. When working small enough to not cause the animals to
one‐on‐one with an animal, the animal has be nervous and tense and the sessions
the trainer’s full attention but this all changes should be kept short and positive. This
when there are multiple animals and only same method can be used to physically
one trainer. For these animals, the concept of separate animals (see Figure C1.1b).
sharing resources, i.e. the trainer’s attention 2) Is the species a social or solitary species?
and reinforcement, is not something they are When working with a social species,
naturally willing to wait patiently for whilst for example primates, separations can
another conspecific is being fed especially cause more harm than good by creating a
with social animals living in a hierarchy. stressful situation for the entire group.
However, it is possible to train them to allow Therefore the animals may be more com-
other individuals to receive a reward whilst fortable being worked as a group. Whilst
they patiently wait, through establishing con- other species that don’t necessarily live in
sistent guidelines. groups, for example tigers, may be more
To make sure we do not comprise the indi- comfortable being separated and worked
vidual animal’s welfare whilst working multi- individually (see Figure C1.2). Thus it is
ple animals together, certain considerations always important to know the species
need to be made: social behaviour and adapt your training
to meet the needs of the species you are
1) Is it possible to separate, either spatially working with.
or physically?

Zoo Animal Learning and Training, First Edition. Edited by Vicky A. Melfi, Nicole R. Dorey, and Samantha J. Ward.
© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Published 2020 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.