ABMA 2016
Friday Abstracts
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From Drawing a Blank to Drawing Blood: Training Voluntary Participation in Veterinary Procedures on an Aardvark
Samantha Abrams, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Artie, a 9 month old male aardvark, arrived at the Columbus Zoo in 2012 and like all new animals, required a routine veterinary exam before entering into the collection. When it came time to extract blood, veterinarians selected the vein in the ear due to accessibility without anesthesia. Artie is a sound sleeper and we were able to pinch and poke his ear without so much as an eyelid flutter but found that when a needle came near he was up and moving immediately. Veterinarians decided it would not be necessary to anesthetize him to draw blood at that time. In late 2014, keepers noticed he began to look less filled out and his weight started to decrease despite increases in food consumption. A blood draw behavior became first priority and we began training it immediately. After discussions with veterinary staff it was decided that the vein on the inner thigh would be the best place for extracting blood. Now the question became, how could we possibly get access to his inner thigh without anesthesia? Brainstorming lead to a training plan with all approximations to be taken and the construction of an aardvark podium with a small door made from spare screws and scraps of wood. Taking the short amount of time to train Artie to voluntarily expose his leg for a blood draw made it possible for the veterinary staff to give Artie the medical attention that he needed, while at the same time allowing Artie to live a life free of stress. |
Training in the Dark Trelle Dandridge and Heather Samper, Mutts with Manners Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
A dog trainer who began her career in a zoological setting fortunate to work with a multitude of taxa in mixed-species exhibits doesn’t sound that interesting. But try training a dog, or any species for that matter, with the lights off. Seriously. Eyes shut, lights off, pitch black. Will you be as successful? Can you explain what’s happening to other people? Can you interpret the body language of a new animal you’ve never met that has a behavior problem? Trelle lost her vision in 2001 which coincided with landing her dream job at the Aquarium at Moody Gardens, where honing her training skills began. It was an incredible adjustment to say the least. In 2008, she left the aquarium to embark on a new adventure- a business owner. A new career as a dog trainer opened up many doors and Trelle now co-owns three businesses, trains dogs (and people), teaches classes, manages an intern program, and volunteers with three canine non-profit organizations. That’s a full plate for anyone! But to do so without the ability to see what she is training, where she is training, or who she is training with is remarkable. How is this possible? Throughout this presentation you will learn various strategies Trelle utilizes to interpret and modify behavior, motivation factors, and specific challenges of training in the dark. Trelle is a constant inspiration to everyone she meets and we wish to share her journey of Breaking Down Barriers with you. |
Changing a Perception:
Improving Animal Welfare in Vietnam Erin Ivory and Georgina Allen, Wild Welfare Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Captive wild animal facilities in Vietnam, such as wildlife rescue centers and zoos, are playing an increasingly important role in the conservation of endangered species by enabling the effective confiscation and accommodation of animals caught up in the illegal wildlife trade and through educating the Vietnamese public on the importance of species and habitat conservation. However, where wildlife-holding facilities do exist, it is essential to ensure the best possible care for the animals if such facilities are to engage with, and receive support from, international species conservation programs. Standards to ensure the physical and behavioral well-being of animals must be equal to, or better than, the standards of participating international facilities. Since 2014, we have been working with Hanoi Zoo, Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Center, and the Elephant Conservation Center. These government run facilities were chosen because of their ability to drive change within Vietnam if efforts to improving animal welfare were successful. There are many challenges associated with working in Vietnam including cultural and social differences, facility management structure, and translation. We will explore the challenges, strategies, successes and future initiatives to continue improving the welfare of animals in Vietnam. |
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Training for Ultrasounds in Xenarthra Sarah Graham, Busch Gardens Tampa Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
No studies have been found to document the growth rate and development of a fetus from conception to parturition in xenarthrans. In the three banded armadillo, Tolypeutes matacus, ultrasound cannot penetrate through the shell and therefore the ultrasound probe must be placed on the abdomen. This can be challenging due to the armadillo’s ability to curl into a ball. The Linnaeus’ two toed sloth, Choloepus didactylus, has unique anatomy in the digestive tract which can hide the reproductive organs when attempting to view using ultrasound. We present two cases where behavioral training has enabled us to obtain fetal ultrasound images in these otherwise challenging species. A pregnant armadillo, “Zowie,” was trained to maintain relaxed open body posture so that handlers could position her vertically. This gave veterinary staff perfect access to place the ultrasound wand on her exposed abdomen. A pregnant Linnaeus’ twotoed sloth, “Daisy,” who had no previous training, was progressively worked with to develop a complex behavior chain. This training included acclimation to handlers, target training, crate training, and desensitization to abdomen tactile for clippers and ultrasound wands. An innovation in sloth management involved creating and utilizing a transportable device from which the sloth can hang while the ultrasound is conducted without the use of anesthesia. When used at the Animal Care Center, our on-display veterinary hospital, this device allows our guests to view the ultrasound procedure and have in depth discussions afterwards with the veterinary professionals. |
Breaking down Classic Animal Care Roles to Find a Common Ground to Care for an Okapi (Okapia johnstoni) with a Difficult Injury
Scott Trauger and Lauren Smith, DVM, Natural Encounters, Inc.(Former Animal Keeper of Hoofstock at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo) and Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo Associate Veterinarian Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
In 2012, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo was home to 1.1 Okapi (Okapia johnstoni). One morning, upon the staff’s visual check after arrival to work, it was noticed that the male okapi, Zach, had done damage to his front right hoof. Our Animal Care and Veterinary teams exhausted all possibilities of treatment to allow the hoof to heal. When progress wasn’t happening as we had hoped, it was decided that the best course of action was to amputate one half of this hoof. The question then became, how do we allow this animal to have the best quality of life with this new physical change? Over the next few years of care, our staff realized that it takes a combined effort from a husbandry, veterinary, and behavior management perspective to truly give this animal the best possible quality of life. This is the tale about how we, as Animal Care staff, regardless of title, must figure out how to mesh our roles for the betterment of our animal’s life. |
Won’t They Fly Away? Environmental and Training Foundations that Produces Successful Free Flying Parrots
Chris Shank, Cockatoo Downs Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Training a parrot for free flight traditionally requires the use of weight management along with othertraining tools to create desired training responses from the parrot. However, for over 30 years I have trained a variety of species of my companion cockatoos to successfully free fly without using weight management. I currently fly seven cockatoos of various ages, both parent raised and hand raised. They fly free each day and have been trained to return to their aviaries on cue. By design the daily flying schedule is neither highly structured nor routine. Their free flying experiences consist of self-chosen activities such as foraging, flock flying, playing, exploring, and, occasionally, even predator evasion. They may choose to spend time with me or other human companions. They are eager participants in any training sessions that I offer during their time out flying or while in their aviaries. They are routinely used as willing subjects for attendees to train at our yearly Positive Parrot Training Retreat. This presentation, through videos and photos, will underscore the importance of creating training strategies meshed with an environmental, social, and diet program which culminate in producing confident, fit, eager, and successful free flying parrots without using weight management. |
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Voluntary Net Entry for Lemur Husbandry and Medical Care Chelsea Feast, The Maryland Zoo Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Voluntary net entry has become an extremely useful trained behavior that we established with all lemurs housed at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. It is specifically vital for our female ring-tailed lemur, “Fern”, who is housed with her father and requires birth control injections every 42 days during breeding season. Previously, she would be kenneled in the outdoor exhibit, transported indoors, restrained using the net to receive the injection, then placed back into the kennel and transported back to the outdoor exhibit. This method added stress to the injection due to separation and transport, which we eliminated using this new approach. Voluntary net entry was established through small approximations using positive reinforcement training. She is now desensitized to the net and voluntarily walks into the back of the bag, the net is closed. She is restrained and receives the injection quickly, then is immediately released. Not only is voluntary net entry a great tool to simply decrease negative associations with the net, it is a quickly trained behavior that allows for injections to be done in a controlled setting. To date, we have successfully given “Fern” two birth control injections using this method. I am eager to share how this behavior was trained, challenges that arose, how this training translates into any exhibit or holding space, the benefits we have seen since starting this training program, and other training alternatives we are currently working to establish. |
Breaking down Barriers through Barriers: Training Southern Cassowary for Voluntary Injections in a Protected Contact Environment
Samantha Kaeser, Brevard Zoo Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
An outbreak of encephalitis last year prompted the need to vaccinate Brevard Zoo’s ratites against the deadly disease. In order for the process to be the least intrusive and most positive experience for animal and staff alike, the Austral-Asia keeper team was tasked with training the zoo’s 1.1 Southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) to stand for voluntary injections in a protected contact environment. The cassowaries have two different personalities. When training began keepers quickly had to modify the training plan for each individual bird. Small approximations and inventive thinking helped shape the desired behavior from the male. The female required much more time as well as modifying the behavior criteria to make the training plan successful. Both cassowaries successfully achieved the behavior and were able to be vaccinated with less stress to them, to the vet staff, and to the keepers. Voluntary injection training can be applied across all species and is the least stressful method for medicating and vaccinating animals. Empowering an animal to choose to participate in their own health care rather than using restraint or immobilization provides them with the highest level of animal care. |
The Eyes Have It:
Training 0.1 Jaguar (Panthera onca) for Voluntary Application of Eye Drops Following Cataract Surgery Sarah Colman, Palm Beach Zoo Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
The Palm Beach Zoo currently houses 0.2 jaguars (Panthera onca), ages 10 and 20. The younger female, “Izel”, presented with severe cataracts in both eyes. She adapted to the resulting vision loss, showing no issues navigating exhibit areas or finding food. However, in late 2014, she walked off an exhibit ledge and fell ~12 feet to the ground, falling on the edge of the exhibit water feature. Although she escaped lasting injury, it prompted a conversation between veterinary and animal care staff about risks for future injuries and what could be done to mitigate them. Cataract surgery had been successfully performed on two birds at the zoo earlier that year, so the conversation turned to whether a similar procedure would benefit Izel. While the surgery seemed logistically possible, the aftercare presented issues. It was apparent that the difference between the surgical aftercare for the birds and the aftercare for Izel was that while restraining the birds daily for eye drops was possible, it would be impossible for an adult jaguar. Izel needed to learn to voluntarily accept eye drops following her surgery, as she could need drops as often as three times per day for several months. The consensus among all staff was that the behavior would need to be completed prior to scheduling the surgery. This paper will detail the process of training this behavior, the collaboration between animal care and veterinary staff, and the results of surgery and after care for this animal. |
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Untapped Potential: Enriching Our Animals through Behavioral Research Jessica Spencer, Lauren Highfill, Otto Fad and Ann Marie Arnold, Busch Gardens Tampa, Eckerd College Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
While the concept of enrichment in zoos has manifested in a wide variety of forms [e.g. tactile, olfactory, EED’s], one underutilized opportunity to enrich our animals’ lives is through behavioral research. With constraints on funding, staff, and time often diminishing the priority given to research endeavors, we encourage the zoo community to re-consider the benefits beyond the obvious value of increasing our knowledge and improving the quality of care. By giving animals the opportunity to participate in a behavioral study, we are creating change in the environment, promoting interactive choice-based activity, and stimulating mental and/or physical exercise. We will describe a cognitive experiment recently conducted with the Busch Gardens Tampa elephants as a tangible example of the enriching potential of behavioral research, challenges inherent in applied settings, and ways we incorporated variability into sessions while maintaining scientific rigor. |
A Key to the Misunderstood: Relationship Building with an Age-Old Predator Nelly Rivera, Theater of the Sea Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
They are an apex predator who have survived since the cretaceous period. They are nurturing mothers, respected in nature, but feared and misunderstood in our modern world. When environmental challenges pushed them to the brink of extinction they rebounded with astonishing success. They are the Crocodilian Species. Theater of the Sea is home to some of these species. Alley, a female American Alligator, came from a local souvenir shop where she was not able to thrive in a natural environment and was fed an inappropriate diet which lead to digestion issues. At our facility she was provided with a lush, natural habitat and was started on a trial of diets to overcome the challenge of digesting her food. Although Alley was on a path to an enriching and healthy life, she still held an aggressive nature that was challenging for trainers to conquer. Eventually, a strong relationship was built through trust, dedicated time, and a deep understanding of this extraordinary species. This paper will illustrate the steps we took towards the husbandry training which now allows us to conduct voluntary behaviors such as ultrasound, radiographs, blood draw, weights, and crating. All of our crocodilians now participate in their own health care and are even capable of learning fun behaviors like painting, carrying a flower, and walking alongside their trainer. My paper will serve as a guide for other facilities to mirror this training from the beginning and will include recalls and signals, bridging, various types of reinforcers used, and troubleshooting. |
“Here and Now with Your Animal”- Techniques to Improve the Mental Awareness of Trainers and
so Enable More Effective Training František Šusta and Petra Jaškówová, www.trainingisdialogue.com Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Successful training is a result of trainer and animal participating effectively. Practically we focus on the behavior and physical state of the animal. But more experienced trainers know that the internal state of the trainer is a large part that cues responses from the animal. As trainers, our focus, ability to be mentally present, and our stress levels directly influence our training success. It is a sad reality, that traditionally connected humans believe they have dominance over animals. This “internal” belief system translates into a subconscious argument between animal and trainer which results, sometimes even with the best intentions, in aversive training methods. This contrasts with science based R+ training which focuses only on the animal choosing the required response. And for many trainers the aversive methods “speaking about their soul” are still more popular than R+ training “speaking only about science.” To address this concern we developed a new method of teaching R+ training. It includes relaxation techniques for the trainers, concentration and breath exercises, and different modifications of clicker games. It is designed to provide trainer’s with more self-awareness in training process, and so enable them to communicate effectively through operant conditioning. Examples of how problematic animal behaviour was solved using this techniques will be illustrated. We will show how R+ training skills like LRS, rhythm of work, managing of animal´s stress and others are taught this way. And we want to show how trainers do “find their own souls” through clicker. |
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Assisted Reproduction Using an
Alternative Approach to Artificial Insemination in Cheetah Lisa Gagnon, African Lion Safari Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Assisted reproduction has great potential to overcome management challenges such as behavioural or physical incompatibilities in zoo felids. Unfortunately, artificial insemination in felids rarely has a high success rate. Historically cheetahs are artificially inseminated by depositing semen collected by electro-ejaculation directly into the uterus surgically while under anesthesia. This method requires a high level of expertise that is not always accessible at all facilities. By using positive reinforcement training techniques, African Lion Safari is pioneering a new approach to artificial insemination in cheetah. It is our goal to perform artificial insemination so that it more closely resembles a natural breeding event without use of sedation, electro-ejaculation or surgery. |
Training our Badger Well: A Badger’s Battle with Pneumonia Sharon Clay and Adrienne John, Turtle Bay Exploration Park Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
As animal trainers, one of the most important things is knowing your animals’ behaviors inside and out. Seeing any change of behavior can indicate many things from: natural behavior, discomfort or comfort in everyday activities, to major health issues. These changes may be very obvious or incredibly subtle so taking any of them for granted can lead to an unfortunate outcome. In the fall of 2014 knowing what subtle behaviors our American badger showed became a life or death situation as he was diagnosed with pneumonia. What could have been dismissed as natural torpor behavior turned into a long struggle to bring him back to good health. This paper will discuss the process of diagnosing our American badger, Digger, with pneumonia, the effects of being in torpor, the long process to recovery, the difference training made in his extensive treatment and his resulting behaviors today. |
While It Takes a Village:
Employing a Training Team System for Zebras at the Oakland Zoo Leslie C. Storer, Oakland Zoo Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
In order to manage the Oakland Zoo’s small herd of Grant’s Zebra (Equus burchellii boehmi), we actively involve zoo staff from across the departments, from the director to the newest volunteers, in coordinated team-training sessions. Utilizing individuals with varied levels of expertise comes with challenges and benefits, but has ultimately allowed us to expand the zebras’ repertoire of trained husbandry behaviors in a way that would not have been possible with a single keeper. These behaviors include, among others, being comfortable in close proximity to and taking food from strangers, shifting on and off exhibit at random times, stepping onto a scale, and entering a stall alone. In addition, the training team system has broadened the knowledge, experience, and confidence within zoo staff by giving those with less training experience the opportunity to hone their skills, as well as experienced staff the chance to refine their consulting and troubleshooting abilities. We continue to use this training team system to prepare for future events with the zebras, including physical separation, injection, and dental radiographs. |