Why We Train

A Zoo cannot and should not exist without animals. It is our most basic tenant; they are our "raison d'être". When an individual of a species moves from the wild to the captive state a great deal of its function is lost. Lions no longer need to hunt; zebras no longer need to protect themselves from lion predation. It is essentially a dance which has ended. However although the functionality of the animals biology is no longer in play, the behaviour which mandated its existence lives on. It is this behavioural imperative which we at Bowmanville Zoo work with to our and the creatures delight, for herein lies the true essence of the relationship.

No matter human intervention, a lion will always be a lion. An apex social predator, the lion, with generations of selection to hone the physical and behavioural imperatives which will allow for the maximum number of successful offspring to survive, the captive state no longer requires the behaviours which made them so successful in the wild state. However the behaviour lives on and must be exercised and celebrate to ensure a quality life. So while a lion at Bowmanville Zoo no longer hunts he does indulge in hunting behaviour. Through chasing lures, jumping, running and stalking, hunting and play are intertwined in predator biology. It is this interplay which is employed in the Bowmanville Zoo's efforts to maximize the quality of life for all its charges. Through training and behavioural modification the animal's behavioural imperatives are directed towards the activities commensally appropriate and enriching for the species without resulting in the ultimate consequence. For predators this is fairly straight forward as the majority of their biology is focused on the acquisition of prey. In other species the pathway to maximum enrichment in the captive environment is less defined. As an example, wild elephants are known to cover upwards of 60 kms a day. Such a distance is impossible within the confines of the traditional zoo exhibit. Towards this end Bowmanville Zoo ensures that all their elephants can safely pass beyond the confines of their enclosure. Further they engage in the activity of providing elephant rides for the zoo guests. This accomplishes three goals. Firstly it builds upon the activity base of the elephant which improves cardiovascular health. Secondly it allows the Bowmanville Zoo quests to experience one of the world's great mega fauna up close. The hoped for consequence of this behaviour would be for a greater empathy and consideration towards the sharing of the earth's resources with the nonhuman counterparts. Finally it allows for revenue production which can then be used to support the appropriate husbandry techniques to ensure the highest levels of animal care to the collection of Bowmanville Zoo. It must be noted that the benefit to the elephant of going outside of its enclosure is superseded by the benefit of the activity, over the financial remuneration of the ride activity. Towards this end on days when there are no public elephant rides scheduled the elephants still go outside for their daily constitutional. The best analogy is the taking of one's pet dog for a walk.

We train to enrich our animal's lives, to open doors, to allow us to work with the animals biology towards the goal of enhancing the quality of the animal's life.