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III. Natural History |
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A good understanding of the animal’s natural history, individual history, and facility design is critical to developing a successful training plan. Left: Impala and Thompson's gazelle |
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We know from the work of psychologists and ethologists that, given their natural history, animals are more predisposed to learn some behaviors with greater ease than others; they are also less likely to learn other behaviors. Consideration should be given to the natural history of the animal for which a training plan is being developed. We tend to fall into the trap of believing that animals are infinitely flexible and "available" for training. For example, at a recent gathering of zoo animal trainers, a comment was made that trainers are inadvertently "training" animals like Thomson’s gazelle to be flighty and that, through habituation, it would be possible to eliminate the flight response. We think it is important to remember that Thomson’s gazelle are flighty! Thomson’s gazelles are a prey species and as such have evolved a set of behaviors that includes fleeing perceived danger. It is neither reasonable nor appropriate to assume that we can "train out" a response that is so ingrained in the species. While habituation may reduce the flight distance and, in essence, make the animal less flighty, it is unreasonable to assume that we can train a Thomson’s gazelle not to be flighty. It is important to recognize training as a tool for animal management, but it is also important to understand how to set appropriate behavioral goals and expectations with respect to an animal’s natural behavior. New trainers must "do their homework" as part of their training preparation and planning. A successful trainer uses knowledge of natural history, individual history, and facility design in developing and implementing a training plan. Knowing what is reinforcing or aversive to an animal, knowing the time of day when an animal is most receptive to learning, and understanding and recognizing the stress-related and comfort behaviors of a species are all critical to setting the animal up for success. |
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Above: This Galapagos tortoise has been trained to station on a ramp so that the underside of its shell can be checked. |
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Above: John Lyon's techniques have been used successfully to train horses. |
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number of animal management and animal training programs recently have
been developed that embrace philosophies and techniques that are rooted in
an understanding of natural history. These relatively new practices seek
to develop methods of management and training that utilize the animal’s
natural behavior. Probably the best-known example of this is a
horse-training technique of John Lyons, sometimes known as the "horse
whisperer" [Lyons, 1991]. His techniques for training horses involve
the trainer learning how to read the subtle cues of the horse and for the
trainer to use body language that the horse can read. Similarly, Temple
Grandin has designed handling systems for livestock. Grandin’s facility
designs are based on an understanding of the psychological and physical
needs of these animals. The facilities she has designed are considered
some of the most humane. Dr. Grandin has written numerous technical
journal articles on using the natural history to better manage livestock.
She has also written an interesting popular book that summarizes
these concepts [Grandin, 1995].
To facilitate the gathering of information about the natural history of animals we plan to train, we have developed a series of questions about natural history as it may relate to training (see Goal-setting and Planning Questions in "Tools" ). We suggest that gathering natural history information should be part of the process in developing a training plan. |
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