Page 83 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

4.3 Choices, Choices, Choices 55

VetBooks.ir there are so many options available, that the enclosure will have been negatively rein-
forced, particularly if the aversive stimulus
young or inexperienced keeper can be uncer-
tain about how to train an animal’s behav-
after the animal moves through the gate.
iour. Let’s examine a typical behaviour (net, board, etc.) is immediately removed
needed in a zoo: gating or shifting; moving The other behavioural option is to focus
from one location in the enclosure to another on the unwanted behaviour of not moving
on cue. For a variety of reasons shifting is when cued. Science indicates that if our
beneficial, for example when animals move focus is on decreasing a behaviour, we must
from an old enclosure to a new enclosure. use punishment. Continuing with the exam-
This behaviour can be accomplished by ple above, moving an animal into a new
focusing on either the desired behaviour enclosure, the addition of a net, a board, or
(going through the gate when cued) or the other aversive equipment into the animal’s
undesired behaviour (staying in enclosure habitat, the behaviour of staying in the origi-
A and not moving). nal enclosure is positively punished. Or,
If we focus on getting the desired behav- another option available, is to simply end the
iour, science informs us that we must use training session if the animal does not move
reinforcement. We can use either positive to the new enclosure when cued. By remov-
or negative reinforcement. To use positive ing the potential for food reinforcement,
reinforcement, we can train the animal’s sometimes termed a timeout, this would be
behaviour to approach the zoo professional considered negative punishment. By remov-
when called, by giving the animal food ing something the animal presumably wants,
when it arrives at the desired location. If food, right after not responding to the cue to
this behaviour is first trained within the move, it is hoped that the animal will learn
enclosure, it can later be cued (calling the that not moving caused the food to disap-
animal) when the zoo professional is in a pear. If this timeout is a successful positive
different position, i.e. on the other side of punishment, there would be a decrease in
the gate, in a different enclosure. With the likelihood that the animal would refuse
appropriate use of positive reinforcement to move following a cue next time the request
animals can learn to move to a new enclo- was made.
sure when called. If the trainer focuses on getting a desired
Sometimes an animal might be nervous behaviour, reinforcement must be used. If
about crossing a threshold or moving to a the focus is reducing a behaviour, punish-
location where they have never been before, ment must be used. The examples above
in which case negative reinforcement might illustrate how a behaviour can be approached
be necessary. If the presence of the trainer or and managed from multiple perspectives.
the food reinforcer isn’t rewarding enough Just because the science seems straightfor-
for them and the need to move them is ward, and all methods will achieve the
urgent, trainers might choose to use a net or desired outcome, it does not mean that the
a board etc. to push the animal through the proper choices are always that clear. For
gate or door. If this equipment has been used example, one might think a good punish-
previously and the animal associates them ment would be a timeout where the food and
with the negative experience (of being the attention of a keeper is taken away.
caught, pushed, or pulled), the presence of However, in some cases this could reinforce
them or of them moving into the animal’s the animal if it doesn’t enjoy the keepers
flight distance can be enough to cause the attention or the food wasn’t of high value.
animal to move, in an attempt to escape from The sections below outline how to choose
the equipment and move into the enclosure between reinforcement and punishment and
that does not have the aversive stimu- what the zoo professional must consider
lus present. The movement into the new when choosing the right tool.