Animal Behavior Conversations: The Podcast of The ABMA Shane Gorbett, Board of Directors, The Animal Behavior Management Alliance

This episode Meghan Holst, one of the co-founders of MIAZS (Minorities in Aquarium and Zoo Science), adds another addition to "The Behaviors of..." series by discussing the behaviors of allyship and giving insight in to MIAZS as an organization. Meghan educates about what allyship is and ways in which everyone can be involved in being an ally. Meghan also talks about how to professionally and effectively bring up social justice issues in a workplace and why human behavior is just as important as animal behavior. "The healthier and supported humans are, the healthier and supported the animals are." Stay tuned for Meghan's "Training Tale" about conditioning an electrical signal bridge for sharks. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email abc@theabma.org and to reach Meghan email executivedirector@miasz.org. Also, check out all of the free, informational resources offered by MIAZS on their website. https://www.miazs.org Let's talk some training!

3:35 Introduction to Meghan Holst 

8:30 All about MIAZS (Minorities in Aquarium and Zoo Sciences) 

17:30 How to get involved and support MIAZS 

19:35 What is Allyship? 

23:00 Behaviors of being an ally 

28:15 How to bring up social justice issues in the workplace 

33:20 Why is human behavior just as important as animal behavior 

38:40 “Training Tales”

This episode special guest, Sabrina Brando, AnimalConcepts, continues the welfare discussion from episode 35 with a focus on introducing the topic of Welfare Assessments. Sabrina discusses a holistic approach to welfare and the necessity of observational, research-focused data as opposed to emotional thinking in welfare assessments. Sabrina also explains the difference between output-based and input-based welfare assessments. The episode ends with a conversation about constant welfare analysis and effective assessments models. Stay tuned for Sabrina's "Training Tale" about reinforcing a dolphin for saying "no" and not coming to her when asked. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email abc@theabma.org and to reach Sabrina contact her on the AnimalConcepts website ⁠https://www.animalconcepts.eu/,⁠ LinkedIn, or the AnimalConcepts social channels. Also, check out all of the free, informational resources offered by AnimalConcepts on their website.  Let's talk some training!


4:20 Welfare through observational, not emotional data 


10:15 The way that we are feeling about something, doesn’t mean that the animal is feeling the same 


13:45 A holistic approach to welfare 


20:00 Outputs vs Inputs 


25:00 Difference between output-based and input-based welfare assessment


30:40 The continued learning of welfare assessments 


38:45 What makes for an effective welfare assessment model


41:35 “Training Tales”

This episode concludes Behavior Month 2023 with special guest, Sabrina Brando, AnimalConcepts, to discuss this week's theme for Behavior Month 2023: Welfare Around the World. This episode serves as the podcast's introduction to welfare with plans for future episodes to dive deeper into the science of welfare. Sabrina explains what welfare science is and the different lenses in which we can view animal welfare. Sabrina also discusses the Five Domains Model and the importance of affective states to animal welfare. Stay tuned for Sabrina's powerful "Training Tale" about a monkey taking his choices into his own hands. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email abc@theabma.org and to reach Sabrina contact her on the AnimalConcepts website https://www.animalconcepts.eu/, LinkedIn, or the AnimalConcepts social channels. Also, check out all of the free, informational resources offered by AnimalConcepts on their website.  Let's talk some training!


5:20 Introduction to Sabrina Brando 


11:40 Definitions of welfare from AZA and EAZA 


12:35 Welfare in a practical and applicable sense 


18:00 Focusing on the individuals 


23:15 The Five Domains of Welfare Science 


38:30 What are affective states? 


49:15 “Training Tales”

This episode continues the learning of Behavior Month 2023 with special guests from The ABMA Board of Directors; Chris Jenkins, Marni Wood, and Justin Garner. The panel of guests discuss this week's theme for Behavior Month 2023: The Human-Animal Connection. The panel talks about the importance of having strong, trusting relationships with animals and tackles the questions: how do we evaluate our relationships with animals and what makes for a "good" or a "bad" relationship? The panel also offers advice on how to grow a relationship through changing our own actions. Stayed tuned for a "Training Tale" from podcast host, Shane, about how his relationship with a red river hog paid off during a unique situation. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email abc@theabma.org and to reach any of our panel of guests you can email directorchris@theabma.org, directormarni@theabma.org, and directorjustin@theabma.org Let's talk some training!

4:35 Introduction to Chris Jenkins, Justin Garner, and Marni Wood 

8:40 Human-Animal Relationships from an academic lens 

10:25 Building human-animal relationships in a modern setting 

16:25 What defines/how do you measure a “good” relationship 

20:15 What would cause you to define a relationship as “bad”

27:35 When and when not to take away from your trust account 

31:40 If the relationship needs improved, how do we strengthen it 

35:25 What can we, the human learner, change in our behavior

41:15 Reading animal body language 

43:50 Advice for building a stronger, better relationship 

51:00 The future role of human-animal relationships in welfare science 

52:50 “Training Tales” 

This episode continues the learning of Behavior Month 2023 with special guests Clarie Santiago and Hunter Peck from Natural Encounters, Inc. who discuss this week's theme for Behavior Month 2023: The Evolution of Enrichment. This is also an exciting episode for the fact that this was a live, in-person recording at the NEI Ranch because NEI graciously hosted The ABMA's 2023 midyear meeting! In this episode our guests discuss the evolution of enrichment, both on a holistic level and within a specific team or facility. Clarie and Hunter also contemplate the shift of enrichment towards behavior-based and how training, enrichment, and behavior are not mutually exclusive, but in fact all related. Stayed tuned for two "Training Tales" this episode! Clarie talks about a daring flight from a black kite and Hunter explains how a pigeon named Blade learned to fly. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email abc@theabma.org and to reach Clarie and Hunter you can message them on Facebook.  Let's talk some training!


8:15 Introduction to Clarie Santiago and Hunter Peck 


14:15 The evolution of enrichment 


16:20 The evolution of enrichment on a team/in a facility 


21:50 Behavior, enrichment, and training - Not mutually exclusive topics 


29:10 Shifting the focus towards behavior and away from interactions 


31:25 Enrichment as a tool to decrease “undesirable” behaviors 


38:05 Can something that the animal “doesn’t like” still be considered successful enrichment? 


41:50 Focusing on enrichment for a species as a whole and at an individual level


45:30 Hunter and Clarie’s enrichment opportunities that they are excited to implement in the future 


47:15 “Training Tales”

This episode kicks off Behavior Month 2023 and we are joined once again by special guest, Wouter Stellaard from Behavior 360 and The Kuzo Group, to discuss this week's theme for Behavior Month 2023: Cooperative Care. Wouter discusses what it means for animals to participate in cooperative care and the element of empowering animals to participate and giving them the voice to say yes or no. Wouter also offers advice on times where behavior is needed in a timely manner. To wrap up the conversation, Wouter talks about the importance of cooperative care in a modern zoo and showing that in action to guests. Behavior bird brainiacs (that will make sense after you listen to this episode) will be excited for Wouter's "Training Tales" about a short-billed corella and a beautiful, boisterous black-breasted buzzard! For questions or suggestions about the podcast email abc@theabma.org and to reach Wouter contact him on his website behavior360.com  Let's talk some training!


2:15 Information about Behavior Month 2023


3:50 Introduction to Wouter Stellaard


11:05 What does Cooperative Care look like in practice? 


13:55 Giving animals the ability to say yes or no


18:55 How can we tell if a behavior is truly voluntary? Is there anything that is truly voluntary?


24:55 What is the difference between an operant learning strategy and “distracted” feeding in terms of cooperative care? 


 31:20 When medical diagnostics/information are needed in a timely manner 


36:50 The shift in moving away from the word “husbandry” and to “cooperative care” 


40:00 Effectively communicating to the public about the role cooperative care plays in a modern zoo 


44:40 How cooperative care can improve welfare 


49:10 “Training Tales”