Literaturdatenbank
Literaturdatenbank |
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Ethier, N., & Balsamo, C. , Training sea turtles for husbandry and enrichment. Unpublished paper presented at Seventh International Conference on Environmental Enrichment.
Added by: Admin (06 Jan 2014 18:24:23 UTC) |
| Resource type: Conference Paper BibTeX citation key: Ethier2005 View all bibliographic details  |
Categories: General Keywords: Caretta caretta, Cheloniidae, Schildkröten - turtles + tortoises, Verhalten - ethology Creators: Balsamo, Ethier Collection: Seventh International Conference on Environmental Enrichment |
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| Abstract |
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Keepers at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium initiated an enrichment project in January 2004. The objective of the project was to improve the quality of life for a loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, “Patches”. The animal was housed in an off-exhibit pool to facilitate medical treatments. Enrichment included food toys, tactile stimulation, and keeper interaction. Husbandry training was a critical component of the program. It was employed to elicit her cooperation for treatment--reducing the need for restraint--and to provide mental and physical stimulation. Patches was conditioned to feed from tongs, accept tactile manipulation, target, follow her trainer, respond to a recall stimulus, and present for shell scrubbing. By October 2004, Patches’ condition had improved and medical treatments were suspended. She was transferred to a more stimulating large community tank. The pool houses several shark species, a roughtail stingray, bony fish, three other loggerheads, and a hawksbill turtle. Aggressive feeders, the turtles often impeded feeding of the sharks. They also complicated Patches’ training, inadvertently blocking her from stationing as they chased food. The keepers decided that Patches’ training could continue only if the other turtles were under stimulus control, so the staff expanded the scope of the program. The turtles learned to station at specific areas of the pool. Their cooperation enabled the keepers to continue working with Patches. In December 2004, it became necessary to resume weekly medical work-ups with Patches. She learned to swim into a cargo net for treatment, which eliminated the need to return her to the holding facility. Patches cooperates with trainers in weekly workups, despite the potentially aversive treatments. All turtles display increased activity since training began. The authors will present methods used to establish the program, create a training team with keepers throughout the Aquarium, and to overcome time limitations.
Added by: Admin |