Behavioral Husbandry
Chair
Deana Walz - The Living Planet Aquarium
Purpose
The Behavioral Husbandry Committee formally came into being in late 2008. It brought together two very different and yet very alike committees, The Animal Training and Enrichment Committees. These were joined at the request of the two individual committees.
The AAZK Enrichment Committee was founded in 1994 and The Animal Training Committee was founded in 2000. These specialized groups were organized to provide specific resources in the areas of enrichment and training. The timeliness of their formation filled a growing need for support as these aspects of animal care evolved into a daily part of husbandry.
Since the formation of these two committees, most zoo professionals have found great success in utilizing both training techniques and enrichment to solve behavioral challenges in captive animals. Many zoos now have a supportive “Behavioral Husbandry Department” or staff that is dedicated to training, enrichment and animal welfare. Training and enrichment are no longer viewed necessarily as separate entities, but as two branches of behavioral management that are often used in concert. In our effort to stay current with the trends of professional zoo keeping, we have combined the two current committees into one AAZK, Inc. Behavioral Husbandry Committee. The focus of this committee would be training, enrichment and animal welfare.
Resources produced:
- ADTF, Animal Training Section (AAZK, 2001)
- List of Training Terminology (AAZK/AZA Behavioral Advisory Group, 2003)
- Training & Enrichment Bibliography (AAZK ATC & Enrichment Committees, 2001)
- Training Workshops on Various Training Topics (AAZK National Conference Proceedings, 2001-2004)
- Articles and Committee Updates (Animal Keeper’s Forum)
- www.aazk.org committee web pages (2002)
Projects:
- Partner with other committees to streamline resources and efforts
- Development of new workshops for the annual conference
- Development of training behavior lists for taxonomic groups
- Update the bibliography and resource lists over time
- Surveying the membership to meet needs
- Enhancement of this website
- A database of bibliographies
- Enrichment guidelines for marine mammals and elephants
- AAZK Enrichment Notebook, 2nd edition translation into Spanish, French and Chinese languages
Additional Information
- What is Training?
- Health and Safety Considerations
- Training and Enrichment Bibliography
- Glossary of Training Terms
- Animal Data Transfer Form
- Training and Enrichment Video Library
- Resources
- Risk Assessment and Safety
- Suggested Guidelines for Enrichment (Available only to AAZK Members!)
- Printed Resources
- Enrichment Suppliers
- Enrichment Day Examples (Available only to AAZK Members!)
- Related Sites