The Zoo

The Philadelphia Zoo joins Kids Corner monthly to explore the fascinating world found behind the gates of America's First Zoo!

Animal Training

If you have a pet at home, you know that one of the most important things you can do to make it a good member of your family and a good neighbor is to train it. The truth is, while we like to think of our pets as people, they really speak their own language. Training helps us communicate with our pets and keep them safe, healthy and happy.

You might be surprised to learn that, in zoos, we also train animals. Our keepers train our animals to essentially voluntarily help us take care of them - whether stepping on a scale to get their weight or moving on their own from their nighttime bedrooms into their outdoor exhibits in the morning.

At the Zoo, one requirement of training is that the animals must enjoy it. That means they get food or other treats and lots of praise when they perform a behavior correctly. If they're not in the mood to practice, they don't. In most cases, we train our animals to do things they would normally do in the wild - the twist is they have to do them on command. Some of these include:

Big Cats

Some of our cats, like lions and tigers, had to move while we were renovating their home at Bank of America Big Cat Falls. Moving can be a stressful time for animals, so our keepers planned ahead and started training them to do various things that would make the move less challenging for them, like getting into the crates they would travel in or learning how to present their paws and backsides for the pre-shipment physicals they would need before they went to other zoos.

Now that many of these animals have returned, the keepers are continuing their training to help with any vet care they might need. For instance, many of them will present their flanks for voluntary vaccinations.

Elephants

Every morning begins one of the most important rituals in our elephants' care - a bath. During bath time, the keepers carefully examine the elephants' bodies for overall health and wellness. Our elephants are almost ten feet tall, so how do they do that, you might ask? Training, of course!

The elephants are trained to open their mouths, so the keepers can look at their teeth, and to lay down, so the keepers can check the tops of their bodies and heads. The elephants will also lift their feet so the keepers can check to make sure they're healthy and to make sure their nails don't need a trim.

Birds

The Inca terns, known for their flourishing white "mustaches," have each been trained to go to a wood block of a certain color. No matter which way or where the blocks are situated, each bird knows which color they should fly to. By putting the colored block on a scale or in a crate, keepers no longer have to use a net to catch the birds when they need to weigh or move them to another exhibit.

Meerkats

Meerkats are very social and like to do things as a group. Training is no exception! Their keeper has taught each of them to sit on their individually colored mat so that they each have their official "place" during a session. This way, each animal can receive individual attention while the others sit quietly and wait their turn.

Just like in the wild, our meerkats learn from watching each other. Our male, Simon, is older and more experienced, and our two younger females, Gracie and Mae, learned their behaviors much more quickly by watching him. They are taught behaviors that allow the keepers to examine them more closely, and they will even go into a carrier willingly so that they can be moved when necessary.

Primates

We do a lot of training with our primates, who are extremely intelligent animals. For instance, our female langur, "Melaka," was slightly overweight because of some medicine she was taking. To help her get back in shape, the keepers had her "stationing" (or sitting at a keeper-designated point) in a variety of areas in the exhibit. This back and forth was a great way to ensure she got some exercise and keep her healthy.

Another interesting behavior the keepers have taught her is to hold her tail to keep her hands occupied and out of the way while they examine her!

Training is hard work!

As you can see, our keepers have been really successful at training our animals to help in their daily care, but it didn't happen quickly. Patience is one of the most important characteristics of any animal keeper. It's also one of the most important characteristics of any pet owner. Practice every day your pet is willing and make it fun! Give them lots and lots of praise or a treat when your pet gets it right - whether on purpose or not. And, keep your training sessions short so they don't (and you don't) get bored.