It is often difficult for management to assess the level of experience or expertise of their staff if they have not had extensive personal experience with the applied use of operant conditioning.
Objective evaluations of all keepers who are training can increase the confidence of the keeper, the versatility of the animal and flexibility of the program.
One of the largest problems I have dealt with in the training/consulting realm is that people are not always sure what their end result should be. What are the zoo’s goals? What are the keeper’s goals? What are the veterinarian’s goals? What are the collection’s goals?
I can help all groups come together to develop achievable goals with realistic timelines. These are dependent on level of staff experience, species, goals, and overall time devoted to the program.
Consultation can be provided for the design and implementation of educational shows and animal ambassador programs. Staff will be trained and involved in this process from the beginning! This will ensure the staff will continue to grow and be able to design and implement programs in the future on their own!
If your staff is already training, consider continuing education courses. Courses will be designed based on staff experience and species. CE can be motivating when staff is becoming stagnant in their training program!
4555 Palisades Canyon Circle
Las Vegas, NV 89129
baament@earthlink.net
630.730.6045
