Zoo Logic Dr. Grey Stafford

As director of research for the Dolphin Research Center, Dr. Kelly Jaakkola spends much of her time studying the cognitive abilities of bottlenose dolphins, as well as, refuting the false or unsubstantiated narratives stemming from all places, recent peer-reviewed publications by authors opposed to marine mammals in human care. One of two of her recent publications examines whether these small cetaceans in human care live in "impoverished" environments. Spoiler alert, they don't. However, Kelly argues in a separate paper that this low bar of animal welfare can and should be raised to include beneficial cognitive challenges that enable animals in zoological facilities, not just dolphins, to thrive when we humans have met most of their physical needs.
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Before she became an expert avian trainer with Natural Encounters, Ari Bailey got her start working with crocodilian species at a time when aversives and physical restraint were still commonly in use. Fortunately, the state of animal training for crocodilians and other ectothermic species has since advanced; in many ways, the same sort of husbandry behaviors commonly seen with mammals and birds can also be seen with reptiles at modern zoological facilities. However, while the principles of operant conditioning used with crocs are the same as with other species, their unique physiology and natural history does influence how modern behavioral science methods are applied. Ari discusses these and other details from training material she's written for professional coursework on crocodilians.
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The post Civil War era gave rise to unprecedented social changes. The energy and activism directed at ending the scourge of slavery found new life in improving the welfare of animals, particularly those species in American homes, industry, entertainment, and on the dinner plate. Authors, Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy, DVM have written their second book together (Knopf, 4/23) examining the extraordinary animal welfare movement that emerged during the latter third of the 19th century. Readers of Our Kindred Creatures are "introduced to the activists, scientists, and moguls who helped create our modern views on animals, with our intense compassion for certain species and ignorant disregard for others."  Not surprisingly, this same movement was intertwined with the public's burgeoning interest in conservation as rampant species and habitat loss was unfolding.
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On a recent visit to a zoological facility, their senior animal manager asked about my current views on the use of negative reinforcement given past treatment of the subject in my book ZOOmility going back to the mid 2000's, when I largely discouraged trainers from using the training tool. So we thought it might be time to take another look at that behavioral tool to better understand if, when or with what species it is ever appropriate to use negative reinforcement since it requires the presence and subsequent removal of aversive stimuli. We asked well known animal trainer and Clicker Training's Executive Vice President and Chief Training Officer, Ken Ramirez, to weigh in on the subject and share his thoughts and cautions on negative reinforcement.
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What is the secret to longevity and relevance in any career path?  While the answer may vary among differing professions, one ingredient seems to be a willingness to "apply the joy of exploration to our own lives," according to actor, director, best selling author, musician, and real life space traveler, William Shatner. In 2022, Shatner now 93, best known for his iconic role on Star Trek as Captain James T. Kirk, wrote Boldly Go with coauthor, writer and director Joshua Brandon. The book is a series of reflections and insights stemming from personal triumphs and tragedies and a career spanning eight decades. We talk with Josh about what it was like to meet and later collaborate with the iconic entertainer and what advice he has to share for those pursuing their dream in a highly competitive field like television and film or... zookeeping.
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It would likely surprise most people that until about a decade ago, military service dogs were routinely euthanized at the end of their working service life rather than be transported back to the U.S. and a life of retirement. Congress and the Department of Defense finally provided some resources to ensure military working dogs are returned to U.S. soil at the completion of their service. These funds do not cover all transport costs and there are currently no funds to help these animals deal with the impact of physical and psychological trauma or illness when their military careers are completed. The situation is even more dire for the much larger group of trained service dogs used by private military contractors for whom there is no funding for return transport or even guaranteed feeding and medical treatment. Mission K9 Rescue co-founder Bob Bryant returns to discuss a bill pending in Congress to provide grant funding in support of military working dog medical care throughout their lives.
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