Monday Abstracts

SEEING THE INVISBLE:
TARGET AND NET TRAINING
​WITH AN ELECTRIC EEL

Lara Zamarripa,
National Aquarium Institute


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Electric eels (Electrophorus electricus) are common at many public aquariums, including the National Aquarium, Baltimore Maryland, which houses an electric eel named Sparkay. Like all electric eels, Sparkay can be hazardous to work with and is capable of producing high voltage electric shocks that travel throughout the exhibit. Sparkay also shares the electric eel’s trait of near-blindness and uses the electric potential of objects to navigate. These characteristics made it often difficult to feed, move, and handle Sparkay for medical procedures and maintenance. Through diligent research and planning, a target was designed that allows Sparkay to target train using eletrolocation. After target training was achieved, Sparkay was conditioned to curl up inside a net for transport. This paper outlines the steps used in training, as well as the pitfalls and successes of trying to work with an animal that sees the world in a completely different way than humans do.

PLAY: COMPARING PLAY STYLES OF CANINES AND EQUINES

Jamie Bozzi and Jody Ambrose,
smrtdog.com and Jody Ambrose Dressage



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Modern equine management practices are often dictated by the practical limitations of open space, economics, and human convenience rather than consideration for the well-being of horses. It is estimated that 60-90% of performance horses develop gastric ulcers during the course of their careers due to environmental and training-related stressors. Behavioral issues such as resistance to training, stereotypy, and anxiety-related aggression are common. The majority of stabled horses are owned by amateur handlers who want the best for their horses, but for whom time, money and personal safety are high priorities.  Their options for dealing with problematic behavior are often limited by these aspects as well as the logistical constraints of boarding facilities and a culture which favors familiar methods such as physical restraint, chemical restraint, punishment, abandonment, and euthanasia.  The objective of this study was to address potentially serious behavior problems in several commercially-boarded performance horses, utilizing a comprehensive behavioral management approach similar to those used with other captive species such as dogs and zoo animals.  Techniques included protective and free contact positive reinforcement training, environmental and behavioral enrichment, and empowering horse owners and care providers through education by helping them develop a better understanding of animal behavior and its relationship to the physiology of stress.​

UNLEASHED: MAMMALS IN ACTION

Sharon Dale,
Turtle Bay Exploration Park



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Leashed or unleashed? That is the question.  Focusing on our grey fox, this paper will discuss the training of a raccoon, American badger and grey fox to perform off leash in our wildlife show.  Emphasizing recall, kenneling, using tactile without play, having consistency and creating relationship, these animals were all trained to perform their behaviors off leash.
Young grey fox have an exorbitant amount of energy which brings about many challenges.  How many trainers are faster than a fox?  With the answer being none, it was important for our trainers to plan ahead. Once our female grey fox, Inali, was released from the kennel, it was too late!  Looking at focus work, targeting, the stay cue and relationship, I will discuss how we were able to work with her energy to achieve success.  I will also introduce how we used a modified telemetry collar for safety and harness trained her.  
While working unleashed has great rewards, it is important to analyze when it is appropriate and when a leash is more prudent.  Using both methods with these animals, I will demonstrate the opportunities, challenges and successes we have experienced over the past four years.

DEVELOPING A VOLUNTEER RESEARCH TEAM AT THE OAKLAND ZOO:
​DIFFICULTIES, UTILITY, AND RESULTS

Nicole G. Sharpe, Darren E. Minier, Margaret Rousser, and Brenda McCowan,
University of California, Davis and Oakland Zoo


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It is becoming evident that research in zoos is an incredibly useful resource for applied and basic behaviorists, animal managers, and conservationists. Finding the time and funding for full-scale research at zoos can be difficult, however, and infrastructure does not always exist for keepers and staff to take the time required to develop and institute quality research programs.  As such, collaboration with outside researchers and the efforts of volunteers can be invaluable to achieving zoo research goals.In November 2010 the Oakland Zoo formed a collaboration with the University of California Davis-based McCowan Animal Behavior Laboratory for Conservation and Welfare to develop a volunteer behavioral observation program of the resident chimpanzees.  The Chimp Behavioral Observation Team (ChimpBOT) is a volunteer-run observation program that has succeeded in collecting data on the chimpanzees at least three times a week for the last nine months. The project was aimed at evaluating, crowd, environmental and behavioral factors, as well as husbandry practices, that influence severe aggression between the chimps.  The ChimpBOT had a rocky start, with problems in keeping membership, translating research and behavioral terminology to novices in the field, and low inter-observer reliability.  Consistency and continued training has allowed ChimpBOT to exceed expectations and pushed it to a second phase, one that involves a more complex but useful observational style. Oakland Zoo’s ChimpBOT demonstrates that volunteer research teams can provide accurate and valid data, with high inter-observer reliability, which can be useful to zoo management.

BEHAVIORAL TRAINING FOR A THREE-LEGGED, NON RELEASABLE OPPOSSUM
​TO RECEIVE WEEKLY TOPICAL EAR TREATMENTS

Jason Pfau,
Lindsay Wildlife Musuem


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A 0.1 Virginia opossum, Didelphis virginiana, came into our collection in July 2009. She was found in the street of a residential neighborhood in June 2009 and brought to Lindsay Wildlife Museum’s wildlife hospital. An exam revealed mouth and tail infections and the congenital absence of the right rear leg. Because of her missing leg and young age (estimated at four months), she was determined to be non-releasable and a good candidate for educational display and programming.
After initial treatment in the hospital, the opossum moved to quarantine in the Animal Encounters department. Behavioral training (introductions to a whistle and hand feeding), commenced immediately. Physically and behaviorally, the opossum recovered and adapted well to captivity. By December 2009, she was placed on public display where keepers observed “phantom grooming” (movement), by the missing hind leg. 
In July 2010, a significant amount of waxy debris (mixed morphology bacteria and budding yeast), was found in her right ear. It is believed that this build-up was a result of her inability to self-clean due to the missing right hind leg. Topical medications (ointments and cleansing solutions) were prescribed and keepers developed a training plan to deliver ear treatments in a stress-free manner.
Because of the chronic nature of this ear infection, weekly treatments are necessary to prevent recurrence. The opossum voluntarily participates by presenting her ear for cleaning and medication. This paper discusses the training process, success and challenges of caring for this unique animal in a captive environment.
​

WEANING A PARENT-REARED CALIFORNIA SEA LION PUP USING KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR NATURAL HISTORY AND POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT TRAINING TECHNIQUES

Jessica Jenkins and Emily Insalaco,
Denver Zoo


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Weaning a parent-reared California sea lion pup can prove challenging, and typical methods involve separating mom and pup for several weeks to encourage the pup to eat fish and not rely on its mother’s milk. Denver Zoo decided to try an approach that more closely resembles the natural history of the species. After seeking advice from other facilities, we choose to treat this process like any other behavior. A training plan was developed that would introduce her to fish, starting with live minnows, and would progress her towards eating various fish types, one at a time. A bridge was incorporated after she began eating the minnows and was used throughout the process. At each stage in the plan, she was reinforced with the fish type of the previous step to encourage her to eat the new fish type.  To also mimic natural history, mom and pup were separated for various amounts of time during the day and were reunited at night. Although most sessions were done with the pup alone, some were done in the same pool next to her mother. We faced some obstacles, but we were able to successfully wean her before her first birthday. In addition, her training progressed rather quickly after she was weaned, due to her reinforcement history with her trainers and understanding of a bridge. Mom and pup continue to be housed together with the rest of our pinnipeds, and both continue to progress with their individual training programs.
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THINKING INSIDE THE BOX:
USING OPERANT CONDITIONING TO TRAIN 1.0 BONGO (TRAGELAPHUS EURYCERUS ISSACI) TO REMAIN MOTIONLESS
​FOR RADIOGRAPHS

Christina Seely,
Denver Zoo


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Denver Zoo currently houses 1.0 bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci) “Jester”.  Historically, staff at the zoo have trained bongo to go into a specialized crate, allowing examination and basic husbandry, and with some animals, injections and blood draws.   In the spring of 2011, at under 2 years of age, Jester’s crate training was in the beginning stages.   On March 24, Jester was immobilized to examine a lump on his lower left jaw that was thought to be part of a slow healing abscess.  Physical examination and radiographs confirmed that he had a fractured jaw.  The plan was to administer medication for a possible infection, allow the fracture to heal on its own, and re-check the fracture in three to four weeks. However, upon reversal of his immobilization, he flipped over backwards and hit his face on the training crate in the stall.  Due to this, staff changed course and began to plan how to get radiographs without the risk of an immobilization or further injury.  Within the four weeks given to get the second set of radiographs, Jester was trained using operant conditioning to stand still in a crate for an extended time, and to hold a tilted head position to allow veterinary staff to take radiographs of the lower jaw.  This paper will outline the processes involved in this training.  It will also look at what has been accomplished with this animal since the radiograph training, and will talk about our future goals for bongo at Denver Zoo.