Page 57 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

2.8 A Final Reminder: Using Different Approaches 29

VetBooks.ir a prominent feature of our own lives that it is reared birds had to learn to avoid them
(Exnerová et al. 2007). Bumble bees (Bombus
easy to take learning for granted, but we can
also often assume that much of what ani-
of certain colours, but learn new preferences
mals do is in some way innate, and does not terrestris) have innate preferences for flowers
require learning. The field of animal behav- through reinforced exposure to different
iour has long been influenced by two differ- colours (Gumbert 2000).
ent traditions; on one hand, comparative All of this, of course, has important implica-
psychology, promoted the view that most tions for the way we manage animals in zoos.
behaviour was learned, primarily through The aim to maintain captive animals with all
conditioning, and that these processes were of their species‐appropriate behaviours must
best studied in the laboratory, whereas ethol- clearly be not just to prevent the loss of
ogy (and more recently, behavioural ecology) behaviour through inbreeding or inadvertent
promoted the view that most behaviour was genetic selection (i.e. ‘domestication’), but
innate, the result of evolutionary processes, also to ensure that they learn about as many
and that these processes were best studied in as possible of the things that those species
the animals’ natural habitat. More recently, would learn about in the wild. These can
the two approaches have started to come range from learning about species‐identity
together, with more demonstrations of ani- (e.g. ensuring that hand‐reared birds do not
mals’ learning abilities that have been observed imprint on the wrong species) to acquiring
in the wild, and how this influences their food‐handling and predator‐avoidance skills
evolution (Dukas 2004; Shettleworth 2001). (particularly if the animals are destined for
We know today that certain sequences reintroduction to the wild). We know from
of behaviours are provided by genetic pro- our domesticated species that behaviours do
cesses. These sometimes exhibit variability change in comparison with the non‐domesti-
and the behaviours that are expressed, can be cated forms, and this can affect learning. For
changed through developmental processes example, domesticated guinea pigs (Cavia
and learning during the lifetime of the animal. porcellus) are less bold and aggressive than
Hatchery‐reared salmon (Salmo salar) show wild cavies, but are able to learn associations
a greater response to predator odours at faster (Brust and Guenther 2014). Bengalese
10–15 weeks of age than at 26–36 weeks, and finches were domesticated from the white‐
this recognition of the odour is innate. But rumped munia (Lonchura striata) on criteria
they have a peak of learning about predator related to good parenting ability, but their
odours at an age of 16–20 weeks, when they song learning has been affected too, with the
would, if in the wild, change habitats, and munias showing a much more accurate
this learning doesn’t occur in the hatchery, learning of song from than the finches
leading to a decline in responsiveness of (Takahasi and Okanoya 2010). Hatchery‐
older fish (Hawkins et al. 2008). Squirrel reared trout (Salmo trutta) show faster learn-
monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) show an intense ing than wild trout when foraging on cryptic
fear of snakes if they are wild‐born or labora- prey (Adriaenssens and Johnsson 2011).
tory‐born, but not if they are laboratory‐born Long-term captivity can therefore influence
but not fed on insects, suggesting that expe- what the animals learn, but also their ability
rience of insects sensitises the monkeys to to learn, sometimes in unexpected ways.
fear of snakes (Masataka 1993). Wild‐caught Similar things appear to be true for animals
and naive hand‐reared blue tits and coal tits that are not domesticated, living in long‐term
avoided and did not attack aposematic captivity. Captive spotted hyaenas (Crocuta
firebugs (which were novel to all the birds), crocuta), for example, were more successful
indicating innate recognition, whereas in at solving a novel problem and showed a
the related great tits and crested tits the wild‐ greater diversity in their exploratory behav-
caught birds avoided the bugs but the hand‐ iours when first interacting with the problem