ABMA 2015
Saturday Abstracts
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The Pros and Cons of Stress
Karen Frost, Hund & Træning (Dog & Training) Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Stress is often thought of as something that is bad for you. If we take a look inside an individual, there is no doubt that stress can be detrimental to both the body and the brain. High levels of stress hormones can affect different tissues and do damage, e.g. depress the immune system, elevate blood pressure and do permanent damage to brain tissue. This kind of stress is often caused by fear but it can also be created by frustration and expectations. When we clicker train our animals, we can accidentally create stress-related problems because we use the technique incorrectly. Clicker training can lead to frustration when the animal cannot solve the puzzle of how to get to the reinforcer because we as trainers do not provide enough information to the animal on how to gain access to the reinforcer. We can also create stress if we build too much expectation into our training sessions or other activities. This kind of stress is just as adverse although the animal seems to be having fun. Stress, however, is not always harmful. We have to remember that individuals that could produce a stress response have had an evolutionary advantage to those that could not. We see this in the fact that the stress response can be seen across a variety of species. It is also worth noting that low levels of stress hormones actually can enhance both the acquisition and performance of behaviors. |
The Long & Winding Road: Turning Over a New Trainer on a 6 Year Old Blind 1.0 Fossa
Larissa Comb, San Diego Zoo Safari Park Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
The AZA Small Carnivore TAG recommends that the fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) not be used as an education animal (AZA Small Carnivore TAG recommendation, 2004). As the largest carnivore of Madagascar, the fossa is an extremely strong and aggressive predator making them very challenging to work with free contact. For this reason it is not surprising there are only two working fossa ambassadors in the entire United States. While the ferocity of the fossa creates its own set of problems, one less obvious issue with the species in a large, dynamic training department is turnovers. The Wildlife Discoveries division of the Behavior Department at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park works with 40 individual ambassadors representing 21 species. With only nine full time trainers, an animal must be tractable and able to work with multiple individuals in order to be successful. When 2 of his 5 trainers left the department in 2012, it became imperative we focus efforts on introducing another trainer to our fossa "Jamba". Given Jamba's history of aggression towards new people and one previous unsuccessful turnover, this would be no easy task. Complicating the situation further was the fact that Jamba is almost completely blind. This paper will discuss the steps taken over the course of 2 years that ultimately lead to the successful addition of a new trainer to Jamba's training team. |
Implementing Choice and Control at the Chimpanzees in Copenhagen Zoo
Mikkel Famme, Copenhagen Zoo Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
The Background: Often zoo animals and also our chimpanzees have no control of their environment. Before we implemented the new management, we had to lure our chimpanzees by feeding them in the exhibit we wanted them to enter, this often failed. We have an artificial rain system, which is controlled by a computer. We listen to music while working, because we like it. We choose the food they eat. A lot of management and environment things, which the chimpanzees doesn't have control over. Implementing: First we changed our management; we now "ask" the chimpanzees to leave an exhibit, and if they all exit _ we reward them after closing the gate. If they try to run back, while we are closing _ we reopen the gate and start over. They choose if we can enter the exhibit we request. The next step was a button where the chimpanzees could turn on the artificial rain, they now had the control of this. Latest invention is an ON/OFF electrical but-ton where multiple things can be plugged into; radio/music, fan, light, etc. _ they decide of itÕs on or off. This gadget will let the chimpanzees choose if they really want to watch TV, listen to music or have the light on or off _ all decisions take for them, and sometimes think they like. The future has more changes to come, more control of their food, substrates and bedding material and also control/interaction of/with the visitors. |
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Full Abstract
After 16 years as a zookeeper, I felt that I was confident and successful in my training techniques with a variety of species. However, my world was turned upside down when I adopted an American Bulldog mix named Taxi in July 2011. When I adopted him, he was a sweet boy who according to his foster mom had a tendency to get "spun up" with bursts of uncontrollable energy. Two weeks after bringing him home he attacked another dog while on a walk. A few days after that the vet deemed him unsuitable to be in a household with children. This was a major issue because I have two daughters, then 10 and 7 years old. After seeking out a behaviorist, Taxi was termed "reactive and fear aggressive." As a trainer, I felt I could handle this. I had experience working with aggressive species. My plan was to simply apply those skills to Taxi. However, I learned that it is a whole different ball game when the safety of your family is involved. For two years I consulted with zoo peers and a few dog training peers and made slow progress with Taxi. After Taxi attacked an off leash dog that ran up to him, I hired a professional dog trainer. Now Taxi is the center of my world. We are currently traveling this training road that has merged zoo and dog training worlds together and are doing so successfully. |
Can You See Me Now? How About Now?:
A Collaborative Effort to Increase On-Exhibit Visibility of 1.1 Lions at the Oakland Zoo Heather Paddock and Erica Calcagno, Oakland Zoo Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
After the loss of Oakland Zoo's four elder lions in 2010 the ~1.5 acre exhibit was now very spacious, had plenty of resting places, and often had the two remaining lions "out of view" for the general public. By 2013, after many guest complaints, it became clear that something should be done to increase the visibility of Oakland Zoo's remaining lions. Rather than struggle through such a huge endeavor alone as an individual keeper or string, the Lion Team took a different approach. A major collaborative brainstorming effort was undertaken with the support and involvement of multiple Zoo departments from the President & CEO, to PR and Market-ing, to the entire Animal Care Department. This concerted brainstorming effort has produced over a year of productive project ideas. Simultaneously, a behavioral observation project was implemented to ascertain how often the lions were "not visible" and if the lions were adhering to a roughly naturalistic behavior pattern. This observation project took advantage of Oakland Zoo's established intern program. In considering the brain-storming results and observational data it was important to balance guest interests vs encouraging natural behaviors and to have any management changes accomplish both these objectives. Major management changes do not have to be on the shoulders of a single keeper; the process can be collaborative and integrate ideas from individuals with a variety of backgrounds and knowledge bases. Both keepers and their animals can benefit from an open and collaborative approach to management. |
Through The Lizards Eye –
A Behaviourist Approach to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Behaviour Problems in Companion Lizards Danielle Middleton-Beck, My Pet Guardians Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
The keeping of lizards as companion animals, by the general public, has risen in popularity over recent decades with many companion lizards being viewed as 'easy to care for when compared to other companion animals' (CAWC 2009), and are seen as having limited intelligence. Therefore, many companion lizards are housed in minimalistic enclosures where convenience and simply keeping the animal alive is the main priority. This is in contradiction to how many lizards are housed in zoos, particularly those kept on display, which are housed in more naturalistic and enriching enclosures which cater for both physical and psychological health. Due the limitations of being ectothermic, lizards kept as companion animals are reliant on their enclosures for their physical and psychological health. The inability to perform natural behaviours or cope with the stressors placed upon them when housed in minimalistic enclosures, as companion animals, often leads to the development of behavioural problems in captive lizards, including aggression, repetitive behaviours and feeding problems. |
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Training Raptors Force Free and
Without the Use of Equipment Carina Soegaard Ellebaek, Ree Park Safari Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Training raptors is a field where there is still a lot of new things to discover. Until today, the most common way to train raptors is with equipment often followed by the use of force in some way. In Ree Park Safari we had trained raptors for 9 years this way, until in 2012 we decided that it had to be possible to do it without equipment and the use of force. We decided to remove the equipment, work with them force free, and with the aim of positive reinforcement. This off course did not happened in one day. We used a lot of time planning how to approach this goal, without compromising the safety of our raptors. Today we train hawks, owls, and a falcon without equipment, and all of our birds are free lofted. We are also expanding our way of training raptors, by training behaviors we would never train before, like getting a hawk to put its head into an anesthesia mask. I will tell our story, show what we have done, what challenges and successes we have had. It is my hope that I can inspire more trainers to venture this way, and that we with time will get more experience in a field where there is so much more to learn. |
An African Adventure:
Raising Awareness through R+ Training Methods Barbara Glatz, Animal Training Center Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
The Animal Training Center has been dedicated to wildlife education and rescuing animals since its beginnings. Wanting to share our experiences in training people and animals, we started a cooperation with a long-established private wildlife rehabilitation centre in Tanzania, Africa. In a very different culture where empathy and compassion along humans are not priorities, it is even harder to find those characteristics when it comes to animals. The first big challenge was showing people that animals have feelings and need appropriate care to survive and thrive. Increased human-wildlife conflicts due to habitat loss made it even harder when we tried to emphasize that wildlife and nature are important. New challenges arise every day: working with employees and students on the farm and informing the police about positive ways of training their animals turned out to be a very difficult attempt. To overcome those problems we had to start to think the same way they do. How can people benefit from acknowledging feelings of animals? How can we overcome their lack of compassion? We found that it worked the best through getting themselves involved emotionally - building relationships with individual animals and training them through positive reinforcement training methods. The results are astonishing! The people involved experienced a whole new world which is characterized by trust, empathy and understanding. These are qualities they often canÔt even find within their families. The interest and enthusiasm we encounter is very touching and encourages to continue with our work despite all defiances. |
Using Behavior Management to Help Regulate a Diabetic Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithicus rosalia)
Jennifer Hennessey, Roger Williams Park Zoo Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
I had contemplated injection training with our callitrichids for years but could never justify the time and effort I thought would be necessary to achieve a behavior I may or may not use. When our female golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) was diagnosed with diabetes in January 2014, it became necessary to develop a behavior management plan that included hand injections to manage her illness. I will discuss the changes we made to her exhibit design, social grouping, and nutrition as well as the steps taken for urine collection and injection training that have led to a significant decrease in her glucose levels. While I had theorized it would take a significant amount of time to injection train any of the callitrichids, in actuality it took just 28 days. |
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Good Motivation and Welfare Can Result In Good Animal Conservation:
Using Psychophysics Research To Determine the Effect of Anthropogenic Noiseon Marine Animals Kirstin Anderson Hansen1, Magnus Wahlberg1, Ursula Siebert2;1, University of Southern Denmark, 2University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
At the University of Southern DenmarkÕs Marine Biology Research Center, two male grey seals and two cormorants are trained for various research projects. They are currently participating in a bioacoustic study to determine the effects of anthropogenic noise from windmill parks and shipping noise on their daily life of searching for food, communicating with other conspecifics and raising their young. Training animals for cognitive research projects can entail the animals having to do numerous repetitions of the same task over a long period of time, so how do we maintain the animalÕs motivation to continue to do the task while not affecting the research data? We would like to share with you what factors we considered in order to maintain good motivation as well as good animal welfare. |