I’m always up for talking about giraffe training, it is my favourite part of the day. Our beautiful brothers have been loving their training sessions and making huge progress. There are a few behaviours that we have been fine-tuning and I’d like to show off their skills.
We train the giraffes nearly every day, and that consistency has led to the success we have with them, combined with a strict training program.
When we target train the giraffe it is a great way to move them around. But I noticed they weren’t holding their heads still and were wobbling their lips around. We set about addressing this issue by only clicking when they happened to hold their head completely still, even if for a split second, and would reward this.
X-ray training
The ability to hold their head still for several seconds is important to be able to get a clear x-ray picture. This is just in case we need to in the future so that they are well prepared if they ever do need an x-ray.
I have tried to think of all the possible things that happen during an x-ray that I need to desensitise them to and when you look into it, there’s quite a lot going on!
- x-ray plate next to their head
- x-ray machine the other side of their head
- tabards (x-ray radiation protective aprons) which are normally blue or green.
- some machines also produce a small light and make noise.
- extra people in the training area (vets and vet nurses)
- new smells of equipment
This is a lot of new stuff going on for anyone, let alone a giraffe! But our boys are undergoing de-sense training for all of these factors at the moment and are doing very well to ignore the new stimuli and focus on their target.
Building trust
The main factor in any kind of training is the trust that animal has in you. Their trust in me will enable them to try something even though it might be scary to them at first. I put this to the test when our vet came into the training area, Robin has rarely, if ever, seen the vet. His first reaction was to stop and stare and him, but my familiar voice and training routine quickly distracted him from taking any notice of the vet. This meant I could continue my training and the vet could get a close look at Robin.
Team Mammals and I have been wearing blue aprons as a ‘tabard’, making beeping and other random noises whilst they are on the target and even holding a small light at the side of their head.
This may sound daft but it’s these things will prepare our boys to fully focus on their training. I have included some videos and photos of them during our mock x-ray sessions. We also train for leg and foot x-rays.
As always, the boys are free to leave the training area at any time, it’s all voluntary. I think the biggest tantrum award goes to Robin when we tell him his session is over and its Reudi’s turn. He often sulks and poos in the training area as he leaves, in protest.
To follow my progress up until now here are my previous blogs. Of course, I want to thank this glamourous assistant of mine too!
