Formal Presentations - Tuesday
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ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES FOR MOBILITY-IMPAIRED CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS

Elli Earl

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Full Abstract
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is currently home to 4.5 California sea lions, and thestaff are no strangers to ingenuitive training projects to enhance the lives of a socially complexgroup of pinnipeds. With unknown life histories come gaps in understanding in medical records for a majority of animals in our care. The study of this project focuses on two male California sea lions, Bodega and Qizai, who present with spontaneous hindlimb paralysis with no obvious catalyst for the condition. Using operant conditioning focusing on positive reinforcement techniques, the pinniped team trained voluntary participation in treatments such as cold-laser therapy, massage and acupuncture. While full use of the back flippers will not be regained, the
treatments were successful in improving mobility and reducing potential discomfort due to the condition.
Additionally, both males were trained for a sensitivity study to determine if they were able to feel tactile sensation on their hind ends with the paralysis. Trainers were then not only able to determine that tactile sensation was present, but also could begin to narrow down which type of tactile was more sensitive (a firm press vs. a soft touch over the back, for example). This is an ongoing project, with promising results to provide supplemental care to pinnipeds with moderate to severe mobility impairments, allowing them to live fulfilled and enriched lives in human care.
ICE ICE BABY:
TRAINING A NURSING CALIFORNIA SEA LION PUP FOUNDATION BEHAVIOURS
USING NON-FOOD REINFORCEMENTS

Kira Kottke, Paula Harrish

Marine Life at West Edmonton Mall
Full Abstract
Primary reinforcement has a strong history in training foundation behaviors, mainly through the association of the use of food to help create a positive association. But what other choices are there when offering food isn’t an option? Trainers at Marine Life at West Edmonton Mall focused on using non-food reinforcements to train a nursing male California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) pup his name recognition, targeting, bridge training and stationing to aid in his everyday care at the facility.
Wembley, the California Sea Lion pup, was born at Marine Life on July 20, 2022. Because he was the first pup to be born at the facility, many decisions needed to be made as to how he would integrate into our husbandry and training programs. When considering the options, many factors played into the decision-making process, including the layout of the facility, with our sea lions shifting and working free contact, the social structure of our colony (Male Pablo 27 years old, Females Clara and Kelpie, both 28 years old, Quinty (mother) 15 years old), the novelty of the experience for both his mother and the staff and, of course, Wembley’s own wellbeing. The foundations of Wembley’s training were started around one month old and was done alongside his mother. This involved a lot of mimicking and trial and error. His reinforcements were chosen based on observing his interaction with his environment and various enrichment items. Trainers began applying the basic methods of operant conditioning training to Wembley’s day to day routine. One of Wembley’s first reinforcers was a small red webbed ball. It was the first toy he was observed repeatedly interacting with and he seemed to enjoy bringing the ball to the surface of the pool, dropping it and watching it sink to the bottom. Using this observation, we developed a training plan to help him shift between pens with his mother. When it was time for Wembley to be sent to the water, the ball was rolled to the water where Wembley would follow it. This action was paired with a verbal Sd. As Wembley grew, his preferences for reinforcements changed and his reinforcement repertoire grew. By nine months old, Wembley’s trainers were carrying around an arsenal of water guns, ice cubes and other enrichment items so that we could match the reinforcement to the behavior performed and the motivation he was emitting. For example, a large ice block was a magnitude reinforcement meant to give a jackpot reward for a training break through, and a single squirt of the water gun was a minimum reinforcement. These various reinforcers created more opportunities to train behaviors like stationing, holding, name recognition, bridge training and target.


This process was not without its drawbacks. As Wembley matured and changed, so did his preferences for reinforcement. We learned that by observing Wembley natural curiosities it gave us the ability to desensitize and teach him foundation behaviors at such a young age. This meant we didn’t have to wait for him to wean from his mother or for him to be motivated solely by food as a reinforcer. We were able to create a positive relationship at an early age, which is proving to be beneficial to his training as he grows larger, smarter, and more curious. We learned a lot from him in creating a different scope of reinforcements for our animals.
CHRONIC IDIOPATHIC LYMPHOPLASMACYTIC/HISTIOCYTIC RHINITIS IN HARBOR SEALS:
WHAT’S GOING ON? NO ONE NOSE

Dylan L. Salamone

The Maritime Aquarium
Full Abstract
Lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis (LPR) is widely reported in dogs with chronic nasal disease. Although common in dogs, the etiologies of this disorder have not been conclusively determined (Windsor, 2006, Lobetti, 2014,
Gianella, 2020). The information around LPR is even fewer in pinnipeds, with recorded cases being only seen in wild populations and likely attributed to nasal mites (Frost, 1994). To our knowledge, there is no documentation of harbor seals expressing the symptoms of LPR in the absence of nasal mite infestation. Thislack of information provokes a multitude of questions regarding the original population of 0.5 harbor seals at The Maritime Aquarium. Specifically, we examine one of these individuals, Ariel a 33 year old harbor seal who exhibits the most severe clinical signs related to a known diagnosis of LPR. Through daily documentation, serial diagnostics and successful behavioral approximations, we examine the efficacy of a variety of treatments as we explore how to best manage a disease that we are unable to identify its origin. For the past two years, the classification of these long standing symptoms has been the objective of the Mammal and Veterinary team. Through successful behavioral training, consistent documentation, and a myriad of diagnostics/treatments, we have grown in our understanding of this disease. The evolution of management; both behaviorally and medically, required building a strong relationship, consistent reinforcement of husbandry
behaviors, and efficiently training novel husbandry behaviors to correctly implement and assess treatments. The symptoms present with the population of seals at The Maritime Aquarium has long been a mystery with no
conclusive understanding. Through our efforts we have successfully challenged the ideology around a long standing problem affecting our population. Although we have had success with novel treatment implementationand diagnostics, our result exemplifies a disease uncommonly seen in harbor seals in human care. Discussion of our unique circumstances and in-depth efforts regarding Ariel will hopefully provide invaluable insight for future management of LPR in pinnipeds.
SCOPING OUT SWALLOWING:
TRAINING A COOPERATIVE ENDOSCOPY WITH A NORTHERN FUR SEAL

Dakota Reust

Seattle Aquarium
Full Abstract
The training of an 11-year-old male northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) to participate in routine and novel cooperative husbandry behaviors after beginning to show a trend of unusual swallowing. Staff previously trained and maintained routine behaviors such as kenneling, radiographs, ultrasounds, echocardiograms, and blood draws, but most recently accomplished a
cooperative endoscopy behavior to provide additional diagnostics. Endoscopy training began with pairing desensitization to a bite bar guard for animal and equipment safety with an open mouth and continued with approximations to introduce the endoscope itself. The result has been
a successfully trained and performed endoscopy for the veterinary staff. This presentation will highlight the overall training process and discuss the challenges found in training the behavior along with the steps staff took to overcome those challenges.
DOMOIC ACID TOXICITY TREATMENT
AND HUSBANDRY OF “DELILAH” 0.1 CALIFORNIA SEA LION

Darcy A. Huismann
Meghan B. Rice

Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium
Full Abstract
At over 13-years-old, “Delilah” 0.1 California sea lion is the lone survivor of six California sea lion pups with domoic acid toxicity placed in zoological facilities in 2010. This informal paper details Delilah’s hand-rearing at the Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium with conspecific “Sunshine” 0.1, lifelong veterinary treatments for her domoic acid toxicity, and positive reinforcement
training to participate in a wide variety of research studies and medical treatments. Most recently, Delilah’s husbandry and training has evolved to account for the loss of mobility of her rear flippers and hips. The Water’s Edge team would like to share Delilah’s story to continue to grow the knowledge and husbandry of facilities housing aging marine mammals with and
without domoic acid toxicity.
“EAT”:
UTILIZING BEHAVIORAL SHAPING TO TEACH A YEARLING
​CALIFORNIA SEA LION TO EAT UNASSISTED

Dawn Otjen

SeaWorld
Full Abstract
Ronin was rescued by the Pacific Marine Mammal Center on March 7, 2022. She was found under a pier dehydrated and emaciated. With most pups being born in June, her estimated age would have been nine months old. Her initial assessment did not show any injuries or any alarming medical conditions. The animal care team started the process of giving her fluids and nourishment through tube feedings and offered her a variety of cut fish in bowls of water in between tube feeding. The team at PMMC has proven to be very successful at rehabilitating young pups and getting them to eat. Yet, after six months of trying traditional techniques in rehabilitation, Ronin was still unable to swallow fish unassisted. A series of more in-depth tests were run, including a barium study of her esophagus through her intestines and an MRI of her brain. With the results showing nothing that should keep her from swallowing, the team decided as a last effort to bring in a behaviorist to try a different approach. Dr. Kaylee reached out to me because of the work I accomplished with another young pup (named Rex) with a similar problem. Although Rex made huge progress in learning to swallow fish, she suffered from serious health issues. The techniques and knowledge we gained in shaping eating behavior with Rex helped us set a clear plan to act quickly with Ronin.
When we think of shaping behavior through successive approximations, our first thought is usually not the need to shape an essential, innate behavior. This paper will analyze the behavioral steps involved in shaping the critical behavior of eating. Techniques including operant conditioning, capturing, pairing, and target training were essential. Most important, the key to her success was to “break old habits and create new ones”. This applied equally to Ronin and the team of animal care specialists working with her. Working diligently through all challenges encountered, setting up predictability, trusting the direction of a behavioral approach, and enabling Ronin to participate and be actively creative in her journey to eat unassisted, all led to the success of the desired behavior. We are not always lucky enough to be rewarded by the knowledge we gain from one animal’s case to having the direct, lifesaving impact on another. So, with cases like Ronin’s where the stakes are so high, success holds with it a whole different level of meaning and triumph.
Our hope is that the story of Ronin the pup is as inspiring to you as it is to us.