In the world today, every business must evolve to survive, and the zoo is no different. We evolve not only to stay relevant, but to ensure we are providing the best possible care for the animals at the zoo. Last week, the zoo welcomed back an animal training consultant that has worked with the zookeeper staff on multiple occasions in the past. Since she was here last, there are several new zookeepers that are still growing their skillset, and eager to learn.

Training has become an ever-growing part of animal care that has greatly changed the look and feel of zoos. Training is kind of a loose term, for what zookeepers are trying to do today. Techniques used by zookeepers are referred to as operant conditioning. It is the use of positive reinforcement to have an animal volunteer to perform a specific behavior. It is often used to solicit behaviors for veterinary purposes but also for day-to-day management practices. The key is that the animals are performing these behaviors because they want to, as opposed to being forced.

Evolution doesn’t happen overnight. I was first introduced to operant condition in the early 1990s when elephant programs across the country were in the spotlight due to several keeper deaths from elephant aggression. At the time, this risk was just part of being an elephant keeper working in free contact. The San Diego Zoo hired a trainer from Sea World to work with their elephant staff to develop a safer method to work with them, but still maintain their health needs. If you can train an orca without physically guiding it, why not an elephant?

Once operant conditioning proved successful with the elephants, he offered his experience to other areas of the zoo. This training method made national news when an adult, male, drill monkey was diagnosed with diabetes. To survive, he would need insulin injections and reliable monitoring of blood and urine glucose for the rest of his life. Through consistent, positive reinforcement, before long, the animal willingly accepted insulin injections and provided urine samples on request. Later, Gary taught him to place his whole arm into a metal sleeve to allow for safe blood collection for glucose monitoring. Through this training, the zoo was able to manage his disease, and he was free to live and interact with other animals in an enriched environment.

The evidence was there, but such a dramatic shift within any profession will be challenged by those threatened by change. Trust me, I was one of them. It didn’t take long however to get over my ego and accept this new strategy. Since that time, operant conditioning has been embraced by zoos and even aquariums across the nation to improve managing all species. As this transition in the way we manage animals evolved, so too did the faces of zoos. A once, male dominated field due to the physical nature of business began to transition to more females joining the ranks. Today, it is still a lot of heavy, dirty, exhausting work because the basic zookeeper’s responsibilities remain. However, the nurturing nature that women brought to training, seemed to be a catalyst for a new era in how captive animals are managed.