Building relationships: a foundation of animal care
Can you build a relationship with an animal? Your dog at home? Your goldfish? A snake? A weasel? What about a salamander, or a tortoise? I think most people would argue that they have a relationship with their dogs and cats. A lot of pet owners feel a deep emotional connection with their animals who share their living space. But what about wild animals in human care? What about non-mammals whose cognition or behavior may look a lot different from ours? Is relationship building possible? This is quite a loaded question in animal care, and a lot of the conversation depends on how we define “relationship.” Is a relationship the same thing as familiarity? Do animals simply recognize our smell, our sounds, or even our movements as more familiar than that of a stranger? Do they associate us with food or some other reinforcer? Do they “like” us?
Call it relationship, familiarity, rapport – I would argue it’s essential for me as an animal care professional. And yes, how I build up relationships with a venomous lizard is going to look much different from how I do so with a domestic ferret. But allowing an animal’s natural history to inform my interactions with them helps to bridge the gaps between species, and fostering these relationships allows me to provide the best care possible for the animals. Because building a relationship builds trust between the animal and a care team member – trust that this individual will provide care, including food; and trust that this individual is safe and won’t inflict harm.
How do we build these relationships and foster that sense of trust? When starting out a brand-new relationship, a lot of it begins with observation. What does this animal spend its time doing? What foods do they prefer? What areas of the habitat do they spend the most time in? Which activities do they engage in? A lot of these questions will be consistent across species, but just like people, animals can have individual preferences and quirks. The next part of relationship building is usually interaction. For many of our animals here at Zoo Atlanta, that is done through protected contact where care team members and animals do not share the same space. As an Ambassador Animal Keeper, I generally work in closer proximity to the animals I care for. Finally, one of the most effective ways to build relationships is through training. Training creates plenty of opportunities for interaction between keepers and animals. More importantly, training builds that trust. Each of us has an end of the bargain to uphold. I need to know that the animal is going do what I’m asking it to do, and the animal needs to trust that I will reinforce the behavior, whether that’s with a favorite food item or some other type of reinforcement.
So why do relationships matter? When you have a relationship with a pet at home, the warm fuzzy feelings it creates can be rewarding in and of itself. But for the animals here at Zoo Atlanta, fostering these trusting relationships can increase the quality of their care. Things like husbandry, training, and even veterinary visits are less stressful for the animals when they have a trusting relationship with the people around them. In the case of emergencies, a good working relationship can allow keepers to recall animals into safe areas quickly. Whether it is comfort through familiarity, or something a little bit deeper, spending time with the animals, getting to know them as individuals and creating trust, greatly benefits their welfare and allows us to provide the best care for them possible.
Roxanne B.
Ambassador Animals Team
Connect With Your Wild Side #onlyzooatl