A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
Wade, The sign on the telephone pole says WHUM. I googled it and it came up as a radio station in Indianpolis. But the billboard in the 3rd picture has WEEU, which is in Reading, PA. Can`t figure this out, but I`m guessing Indy sometime in the 60`s.
KING OF AQUARIA says: "After she left Sea Life Park - the oceanarium in Hawaii that she created with her ex-husband Taylor 'Tap' Pryor - Karen Pryor did some work training elephants. She wrote the book, 'Lads Before The Wind: Adventures in Porpoise Training". Wonder if she applied the same training techniques she used on porpoises to pachyderms? Hey! I just gave her an idea for the title of her next book: 'Porpoises to Pachyderms.'"
King, I am sure she applied the same techniques. All animal training is remarkably similar. The only thing different is the animals, and by that I mean can you integrate into their environment, or not. As we can't swim like a sea mammal, they are trained with us on land, dependent on a food reward. As we can't fly, exactly like an eagle or falcon is trained. With tigers, elephants, horse's or land mammals we can integrate into their environment and a food reward is only used to teach the animal, not as a motivation to perform the behavior. A food rewarded animal is never 100% consistent(like a protected contact animal). A food rewarded animal like the prior mentioned Nootka and Kandu has the option of refusing the reward and not working for a day or two. A land mammal is rewarded for performing the behavior, not as a motivation to do it. A flying bird of prey has the same option, which is why they are kept "keen" when they are flown. It helps prevent them from flying up into a tree and giving you the finger, much as Nootka and Kandu would do. A land mammal doesn't have the option of refusal. He can't do like the killer whales and falcons. If he say's "I don't want to," because you are in his environment you can insist that "yes, you do want to." Can you imagine an elephant going into the ring, refusing to perform, then refusing to leave? Or a tiger going into the cage, refusing to perform, then refusing to leave the cage? Or a horse ridden into the arena, refusing to move, then refusing to leave? If you are solely dependent on a food reward, your trained animal will never be consistent and guaranteed.
Wade, The sign on the telephone pole says WHUM. I googled it and it came up as a radio station in Indianpolis. But the billboard in the 3rd picture has WEEU, which is in Reading, PA. Can`t figure this out, but I`m guessing Indy sometime in the 60`s.
ReplyDeleteKING OF AQUARIA says: "After she left Sea Life Park - the oceanarium in Hawaii that she created with her ex-husband Taylor 'Tap' Pryor - Karen Pryor did some work training elephants. She wrote the book, 'Lads Before The Wind: Adventures in Porpoise Training". Wonder if she applied the same training techniques she used on porpoises to pachyderms?
ReplyDeleteHey! I just gave her an idea for the title of her next book: 'Porpoises to Pachyderms.'"
King,
ReplyDeleteI am sure she applied the same techniques. All animal training is remarkably similar. The only thing different is the animals, and by that I mean can you integrate into their environment, or not. As we can't swim like a sea mammal, they are trained with us on land, dependent on a food reward. As we can't fly, exactly like an eagle or falcon is trained. With tigers, elephants, horse's or land mammals we can integrate into their environment and a food reward is only used to teach the animal, not as a motivation to perform the behavior. A food rewarded animal is never 100% consistent(like a protected contact animal). A food rewarded animal like the prior mentioned Nootka and Kandu has the option of refusing the reward and not working for a day or two. A land mammal is rewarded for performing the behavior, not as a motivation to do it.
A flying bird of prey has the same option, which is why they are kept "keen" when they are flown. It helps prevent them from flying up into a tree and giving you the finger, much as Nootka and Kandu would do. A land mammal doesn't have the option of refusal. He can't do like the killer whales and falcons. If he say's "I don't want to," because you are in his environment you can insist that "yes, you do want to."
Can you imagine an elephant going into the ring, refusing to perform, then refusing to leave? Or a tiger going into the cage, refusing to perform, then refusing to leave the cage? Or a horse ridden into the arena, refusing to move, then refusing to leave? If you are solely dependent on a food reward, your trained animal will never be consistent and guaranteed.
Wade