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RE: A Zookeepers Life #8 Animal Training
What I find so interesting about training is not just the variation between species, but the variation between individuals. I think it's only through our training programs that I've really been able to observe our animals' individual personalities and behaviors. It's kind of an added challenge to structure the program to apply to a particular animal, but really rewarding when it all pays off.
Even when you have to train a baby alligator who seems to take great joy in just being a little jerk...
Great post!
Its amazing isn't it. Basil has a way of wrapping me around his finger to get what he wants and only when he has been rewarded I realise what he actually trained ME to do! He also if I ignore any behaviour I didn't want will throw his head around and walk off knowing I will call him back- yet by time I have called him back I have already rewarded him. Its so frustrating but also very funny. Yet there are people out there who say animals are stupid, they really need to meet some of our animals!
Absolutely! One of the biggest hurdles I faced was when our gator Stella started anticipating my moves before I did them. Turned out she was picking up on some tiny muscle twitch I made with my arm that I wasn't even aware of. I knew gators were smart, but that was definitely the moment where I realized I was severely underestimating her. She sounds a lot like Basil; she knows what she is supposed to do, but she will test you every step of the way to try and get her way!