Zoos: Time Saving Through Training

Zoos: Time Saving Through Training

There’s a conundrum when it comes to the training and behavior management of animals in zoos: Training may be considered important for the management of animals but is often viewed as a luxury.  It’s not uncommon to hear keepers make statements such as, “I’ll train if...
What Is a Relationship? Lessons from a Warthog

What Is a Relationship? Lessons from a Warthog

I heard a soft, high-pitched whine with an ascending tone from our 5-year-old female African warthog. I looked at Sophia, to see her stopped, stiff and still. It was early evening, and she was out for a walk with me and another trainer as part of her enrichment...
Boo! Training a Bear: 2018

Boo! Training a Bear: 2018

Background Readers were introduced to Boo, a male grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), in the Winter 2018 issue of the IAABC Foundation Journal. Born in 2002,  Boo weighs around 550-600 pounds in the spring, and up to 750-850 pounds in the winter before hibernation. We came...
Boo! Training a Bear

Boo! Training a Bear

Boo is a male grizzly bear (Ursus arctos), born in 2002. He weighs 550 to 600 pounds in the spring, and up to 750 to 850 pounds in the winter before hibernation. We came to take care of Boo after he and his brother Cari were orphaned at approximately 5 months of age,...
Behavior Consulting for Reptiles

Behavior Consulting for Reptiles

We talk to Danielle Beck, ABTC registered clinical animal behaviourist, and the United Kingdom’s only reptile behavior consultant working with pet lizards, about the unique challenges of working with these fascinating and often misunderstood animals. How did you get...