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A Training Update: Niabi Zoo One Year Later

By Laura Monaco Torelli on 02/01/2011

Time flies when you’re having fun!

Welcome back! Wow, it is hard to believe that one year has passed since the two-part series about our animal training programs at Niabi Zoological Society was shared on the Karen Pryor Clickertraining website. (Click here to read Part One of Building Behaviors at the Niabi Zoo, and click here to read Part Two.) We were also honored to have our training program featured in Quad-Cities Online this year. Click here to read that article.

Podcast: Karen Reads Animal Attachment Selections from Reaching the Animal Mind

By Karen Pryor on 02/01/2011

You’ll enjoy listening to Karen’s own podcast (available at the bottom of this page) – audio selections about animal attachments from her latest book, Reaching the Animal Mind.

On My Mind: Zoos Then and Now

By Karen Pryor on 08/10/2010

What’s a good thing to do with a bunch of kids on a summer day? Go to the zoo! I’ve never gotten over my childhood love of zoos. I took my kids, and now I take theirs (you can share a memorable visit to the zoo with my grandchildren in Reaching the Animal Mind, Chapter 5, Creativity).

KPCT Accepting Submissions for Canis Film Festival Video Contest

By KPCT on 07/15/2010

Over $500 in cash prizes and a video contract await the producers of top videos that showcase innovative and informative animal training featuring positive training methods. Everyone can qualify for entry, provided that each demonstrated trick or feat is achieved through force-free training methods, and submissions can feature any species.

Building Behaviors at the Niabi Zoo: Part Two

By Laura Monaco Torelli on 03/01/2010

Welcome back to Building Behaviors at the Niabi Zoo, Part Two!

Teaching cooperative husbandry behaviors is critical to excellent animal care. The many benefits of trainer patience, a shaping plan, excellent observation skills, clicker mechanics, and the ability to modify training sessions based on the animals’ needs can be seen in this the video just below of a cotton-top tamarin. In the video, the 14.4-ounce female tamarin calmly follows the target onto the scale for voluntary weights. Even as the scale moves slightly, she remains calm and fluent.