April 14 - 19, 2013

Behaviours Without Borders!

The ABMA travels north to Toronto to discover Behaviours without Borders!

The 2013 conference will be held April 14 – 19th in beautiful Toronto and will feature a key note address by Field Biologist Ian Stirling of Polar Bears International. Ken Ramirez will also hold a special presentation on training for conservation programs. In addition to an exciting full-day site visit at the Toronto Zoo, we will also be including a ‘Sharkwater’ movie night and an evening at the Hockey Hall of Fame. As usual, we will also host a bevy of fascinating presentations, posters, networking opportunities and stimulating conversations.

Extend your trip! Visit one of the world's natural wonders, Niagara Falls,  in an exciting pre-conference trip!

First time visiting Toronto?  Click here for tips on what to pack and for fun facts about Toronto!

Dr. Ian Stirling

Dr. Ian Stirling is a Research Scientist Emeritus with Environment Canada and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton. He has done research on polar bears and polar seals (Arctic and Antarctic) for 47 years, particularly in the areas of ecology, behaviour, evolution, relationships between polar bears and seals, the biological importance of polynyas, and the conservation and management of polar marine mammals and ecosystems. For his work, he has won the Northern Science Award, been made an Officer in the Order of Canada, and elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He participates in a number of national and international committees on polar bears and marine mammals and has authored or co-authored over 200 scientific articles and 4 books.

The Natural History of Polar Bears and the Significance of Climate Warming

Dr. Stirling will describe aspects of the natural history of polar bears, their relationships with their marine mammal prey, and their dependence on sea ice as a platform to hunt from. Climate warming is causing significant changes to the distribution and availability of sea ice at critical times of the year. Significant negative effects of the loss of ice on polar bears, and on the seals they depend upon, have been documented in Western Hudson Bay and the Southern Beaufort Sea in Canada. Some effects are also being documented in Svalbard and similar observations will likely follow in other populations.

Ken Ramirez

Ken Ramirez, executive vice-president of animal care, animal health and animal training, develops and supervises animal care programs, staff training and development as well as public presentation programs for the entire animal collection at Shedd Aquarium.  He joined Shedd Aquarium in 1989.  A 35+ year veteran of animal care and training, Ramirez is a biologist and animal behaviorist who has worked in zoos and aquariums in four different countries in his career.  He has also served as a consultant to many zoo and aquarium programs throughout the world.  He began his training career working with guide dogs for the visually impaired and has maintained a close affiliation to domestic animal training throughout his career.  He hosted two successful seasons of the pet training television series Talk to the Animals that compared pet training to the important work done with training and caring for animals in zoological facilities.  He has also recently worked closely with several search and rescue dog organizations as well as with bomb and narcotic dogs. Ramirez has been active in several professional organizations, including the International Marine Animal Trainer’s Association (IMATA), of which he is a past president.  Ken has also been on the faculty of Karen Pryor’s Clicker Expos since 2004.  He also teaches a graduate course on animal training at Western Illinois University.  Ramirez has written for numerous scientific publications and popular articles and has authored the book ANIMAL TRAINING: Successful Animal Management through Positive Reinforcement, published in 1999.

Conservation Connection: Training to Save Wildlife

ABMA has contributed greatly to the growth of training to aid in the health, care, and management of our animals. However, when it comes to conservation efforts, training is not usually the first thing on people's mind. Although training is recognized as critical in the day-to-day care of animals in zoological settings – most do not consider training or behavior management as being very useful in conservation projects. Ken will share the variety of ways in which training skills are becoming increasingly important in wildlife conservation. This presentation will focus on several historical successes; the use of remote training techniques and its applications to conservation; and a discussion about future applications and possibilities. This is a look at embracing Behaviours without Borders to its fullest.

Wanted: Animal Training Supervisor! Those Good With Animals Need Not Apply!

The title is somewhat facetious, but this presentation focuses on the myriad of skills besides animal training knowledge needed to be a good consultant, supervisor, manager, or veterinarian.  Ken will use stories from his many years as a consultant and supervisor to focus on people skills, problem solving skills, negotiating tools, organizational skills and many more that will help trainers be better prepared for effectively taking on more responsibility.

Let's Get Knotty!: Rope and Knot Tying 101

Chris Dulong

Participants will learn all about rope and knots in this practical workshop, including hands-on experience tying basic knots. The workshop will also cover:
• Types of rope and their uses
• Cutting and preparing rope
• Knots and their uses
• Enhancing enrichment with rope and knots

Bio: Chris Dulong is a Wildlife Care Supervisor at the Toronto Zoo. His career at the zoo began in 1994 as a zookeeper. Much of his time was spent looking after the zoo's elephants until he was promoted to supervisor in 2011. He is also an instructor for the AZA's Principles of Elephant Management.

Reduce, Re-use, Enrich!

Ryan Hegarty, Sonia Hojka, Amanda Carroll, Vicki Hardstaff and Karyn Tunwell

This hands-on workshop focuses on creating cheap and easy enrichment out of re-used and recycled items as well as material from nature. Participants will have the opportunity to build and create enrichment items which will later be donated to animal sanctuaries in Toronto.

It's All Fun and Games!

Nicole Presley

Yes, you can have fun and improve your training skills all in one workshop! This workshop will focus on using games to enhance the finer points of training. Games can be used to help with bridging techniques, shaping, observation and conditioning skills, and building confidence in dealing with dreaded terminology. Your interpersonal skills will also benefit as you learn valuable teamwork and communication exercises. And, it's all done in fun, so, no pressure! Reap the benefits from learning through games and bring back new ideas to your training programs.
Attendees will listen to a brief presentation summarizing the benefits of games to a training program and then be organized into groups to play a round of six games with each one highlighting a specific training skill.

Bio: Nicole Presley started working as a full time zookeeper at the Toronto Zoo in 1995, after completing a degree in Zoology. She has worked with all types of animals from inverts to pachyderms over the years. After working with the elephants for four years, she became the lead Keeper in the Wildlife Health Centre. In 2008, she was promoted to Wildlife Care Supervisor and Behavioural Husbandry Coordinator. She has supervised the Australasia Pavilion and currently works with a great team in the IndoMalaya Pavilion & Paddocks. She is married to another zookeeper and has two children and two cats. Her favorite animal is the African elephant.

Think Outside the Box!

Tricia Dees and Nicki Boyd

Beginning with a review of training fundamentals, facilitators will share real world training obstacles with a variety of species, followed by a discussion of possible training plans. Revealing what they did and what the end result was, will get creative minds turning. Attendees will then break into teams and each will be given a training problem to troubleshoot. It's your turn to think outside the box! With all of these ideas brimming, teams will then be given the opportunity to work together to create a training plan and practice on an 'animal'. The workshop will end with a discussion of training challenges as the group works together to come up with a plan for an actual case study that someone can take back to their facility. Attendees will leave this workshop ready to take on any new behavior, big or small, and Think Outside the Box!

Bios:

Tricia Dees began volunteering at her local aquarium twenty years ago and hasn't stopped working with (and for) animals since. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Texas Tech University and worked at the Texas State Aquarium and South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center while receiving her education. The day after graduation, she started at SeaWorld San Antonio where she has remained for the last twelve years. She has trained and implemented enrichment programs for alligators to penguins to walruses, and lots of species in between. Currently, Tricia is a trainer with belugas and Pacific white-sided dolphins. In between training behaviors and performing in shows, Tricia has been awarded a grant to expand cetacean enrichment to the cyber world by adding interactive tablets underwater. She also serves as ambassador for SeaWorld Busch Gardens Conservation Fund and recently graduated from Emerging Wildlife Conservation.

Nicki Boyd is the Behavior Husbandry Manager at the San Diego Zoo. She graduated from Moorpark College's Exotic Animal Training and Management Program, Mesa College's Animal Health Technician Program, and she holds a Bachelor's in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She has worked at the San Diego Zoo for 20 years in various departments including the Children's Zoo and Veterinary Hospital as a zookeeper, animal handler in the Behavior Department, senior keeper, Team Area Lead, Animal Care Supervisor, Animal Care Manager and Personnel Manager. She is currently the president of the Red Panda Network which is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving habitat for wild red pandas. She is on the board for the International Avian Train Certification Board and is also the Chief Financial Officer for the Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA) and has been on the board of directors for 6 years. As the Behavior Husbandry Manager, she sets up training programs around the zoo, focusing on safety when working with animals.

AN EPIC JOURNEY FOR ORVILLE

Rebecca Clark, Nicole Presley, Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo is home to a pair of Ostrich (Struthio camelus) that needed to be transported to their new building and exhibit in June 2012. The male had a history of being pushed onto trailers with boards whenever we needed to previously move him from his summer exhibit to the winter holding area. After his move to the winter holding in late 2011, he was assigned new keepers for the winter. It was soon discovered that this ratite was also not reliable at shifting between pens. Orville entered a positive reinforcement training program with his new Keepers. He quickly learned to target and his routine became more efficient as he progressed with targeting. When spring arrived, a plan was devised to train Orville to walk voluntarily onto the trailer and have the door close behind him, while he was reinforced for calm behavior inside. Although, there were a few obstacles along the way, together the team worked through them. As summer approached, the team was under pressure to get the move completed, but they refused to put deadlines ahead of animal welfare. In the end, Orville loaded voluntarily onto a trailer, without stress. This was the first time in the history of the Toronto Zoo that a ratite had been moved using positive reinforcement techniques. This move serves as an example of what small brains can do, that perseverance can overcome old mind sets, and that every animal deserves to be given the opportunity to participate in training.

ENRICHMENT, IT WORKS!

Nelson Wan, Ocean Park, Terrestrial Life Sciences

The Terrestrial Life Sciences Department of Ocean Park Hong Kong contains different species of terrestrial mammals & birds, including: Giant Panda, Red Panda, Otter, Golden Monkey, Capybara, Red-handed Tamarin, Pygmy Marmoset, Macaw, Parrot, Birds of Prey, hornbill, toucan, etc. In last year, we have finished our enrichment program with the use of tools: User guideline, Item library, Schedule, Record, Approval Form and Species Information. With the help of these tools, the team members continue to develop new ideas to enhance animal welfare. Enrichment program also play an important role to eliminate the undesired behavior. We are going to share the experience on how enrichment works on the behavior of Otter (Fur Plucking) & Red Panda (Stereotyped Pacing) in Ocean Park Hong Kong.

ELIMINATING MANAGEMENT BORDERS THROUGH TRAINING OF 2.0 GREEN ARACARIS

Marce Palreiro, Texas State Aquarium

This poster focuses on using operant conditioning and positive reinforcement on two Green Aracaris, P. viridis, exhibit residents that had no formal training program in place. Periodic exhibit maintenance and veterinary procedures required a stressful catch-up of the aracaris, detailed organization between multiple departments, and was restricted by time of day. To improve on efficiency of maintenance and veterinary procedures, a training plan was started that mainly focused on a crate behavior and a guest interaction program. Initially, a training foundation was created by training low intensity behaviors, such as flying to hand, and then the crate behavior was added to their repertoire. While training the birds trainers focused on giving them the maximum amount of choice and control. Through training these and other behaviors, generalization began to take place allowing a passive restraint behavior to be shaped in only a few sessions. This behavior reduced stress, the number of staff needed for routine veterinary procedures and allowed for flexibility in scheduling exhibit maintenance. Although the training program required resources, a minimal amount of time is needed to maintain the learned behaviors. Overall, placing these birds on a training program has increased management quality and efficiency.

A MACAW WITH A MISSION

Katie Peterson, Denver Zoo

Denver Zoo's mission is to secure a better world for animals through human understanding. The Education and Volunteer Services Department at Denver Zoo plays a large role in the "human understanding" portion of our mission. The zoo's numerous programs and classes strive to educate our audiences by connecting them with animals, bringing attention to the importance of a healthy environment, and empowering each individual to participate in conservation actions that help animals and their habitats around the world. As a keeper who cares for the zoo's program animals, I have the opportunity to train behaviors with our collection that can then be demonstrated during our programs. To help make that important connection with an animal while also demonstrating a conservation action, I trained our military macaw and blue and gold macaw to "sort" trash. The behavior consists of handing the bird either an aluminum can or a milk carton and the bird taking it to the appropriate bin (either the recycle bin, or the gasification bin). Not only is this relatively simple behavior an easy (and adorable!) way to start a conservation conversation, but it also highlights Denver Zoo's incredibly innovative gasification process. Using this behavior in a classroom setting has allowed instructors to effortlessly get their students thinking about and talking about conservation and how their actions can secure a better world for animals.

Click Here for information about the themed hospitality suite nights!

Sunday, April 14th

Monday, April 15th

UTILIZING GROUP CONTINGENT TRAINING TO MINIMIZE FRUSTRATION/AGGRESSION IN GRAY WOLF (Canis lupus) PACKS

Liz Aiken, Lauren Baard and Jay Tacey, Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW) houses 7.1 Gray Wolves (Canis lupus), living in three separate packs. As a social species with a strong dominance hierarchy ("Wolf," n.d., para. 7), management of these animals for display, husbandry, and presentation purposes requires detailed planning and the implementation of specific and appropriately applied behavioral modification techniques. The use of group contingencies within a positive reinforcement training strategy has proven to be effective in minimizing the frustration and intra-pack aggression with the Gray Wolves at BGW, especially when working within each pack's self-determined social hierarchy. Trainers at BGW use both of the two major group contingency variations: determining results for the group based on an individual's behavior, and determining results for each individual based on the entire group's behavior. Trainers use these group contingencies daily to train and maintain basic stationing behaviors, shifting behaviors, complex, multi-animal chained behaviors used in presentations and husbandry behaviors. Group contingent training has also been used successfully at BGW to facilitate the integration of naïve Gray Wolves into an existing pack and to train these same naïve animals to participate in daily activities in front of the public. In addition, group contingent training has strengthened trainer-wolf relationships by reducing the trainer's association with wolf-wolf aggression and by increasing opportunities to positively reinforce wolves in a group setting. This type of interaction with Gray Wolves is unique within the industry and allows for the opportunity to increase the overall level of personal care and husbandry of each animal.
Wolf. (n.d.). In National Geographic. Retrieved from http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/wolf/?source=A-to-Z

ZETHNOGRAPHY: BEYOND BORDERS OF CULTURE AND SPECIES

Kristie Burns, Phd., Pella Wildlife Company - Academy of Wildlife Education

Ethnographies go "beyond borders" of culture, have revolutionized the way culture is studied worldwide and have even been used by the National Park Service. The Academy of Wildlife Education is going beyond the borders of culture and species by using Zethnography at its own facility to increase the effectiveness of its behavior management program and to create a safer, more nurturing and non-threatening environment for both humans and animals.
Zethnography, a term coined by Dr. Kristie Burns, director of the Academy of Wildlife Education is an ethnography of a human-animal culture and utilizes concepts from cultural anthropology, wildlife anthropology and ethology. Zethnography allows a deeper insight into actions, causes and consequences and thus advances animal behavior management techniques at facilities and paves the way to more effective operant conditioning and the creation of a safer, more nurturing and non-threatening environment for both humans and animals.
Zethography goes beyond standard observation records and provides effective mechanisms of data retrieval, methods for uncovering cognitive structures and ethology, devising verbal action plans and decision models, analyzing fieldwork, and utilizing a variety of techniques for data reduction. It also teaches animal care
professionals and others how to translate this accumulated data into an ethnographic report and finally into a more effective behavior management plan.

POSITIVE PARROTING

Cathy Schlott, National Aviary

Zoos have become an integral part of many communities over the years. They represent a place of entertainment for families, a great spot for a field trip, and an educational yet exciting option for children's camps. As zoos have progressed in their mission statements, they have also become front-runners in education for both young and old alike and often act as "community centers" for animal education and conservation. Now, more than ever, the zoo community is dedicated to advancements in animal care, husbandry, training, and conservation, but these advancements do not have to be limited to animals living in zoos. The advancements pioneered in zoos can and should be shared with animal rescue organizations, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and pet owners. To increase animal welfare throughout the Pittsburgh area, the National Aviary began partnering with local organizations to provide workshops for pet owners as well as organizing community events to raise awareness of animal rescues in the area. We continue to evaluate both programs to increase their effectiveness within our community. This paper details how the National Aviary formed a partnership with a local parrot rescue group to offer a series of classes on pet parrot ownership. It also covers the process of hosting an "Animal Rescue Day" event for local pet rescue organizations to increase their presence in the community.

KOMODO CALISTHENICS: USING ENRICHMENT TO PROMOTE EXERCISE IN KOMODO DRAGONS

Brent Huffman, Toronto Zoo

Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis) are the world's heaviest lizards, and are prone to mobility issues with age. Experiences with three arthritic dragons at the Toronto Zoo prompted the Australasia keepers to explore proactive measures for the zoo's two young adults. After researching the biology and captive husbandry of this species, we identified likely causes of mobility issues (obesity and lack of exercise) and set a broad goal: to increase activity through behavioral enrichment. Our research highlighted several natural behaviors that we could encourage to meet our objective. With these in mind, we developed a three-pronged approach: provide more variable environments, create naturalistic feeding opportunities, and offer at least one novel event daily. Setting up the Toronto Zoo's first comprehensive enrichment program for reptiles has posed challenges for keepers and animals alike. In its evolution over the past two years, this program has advanced keeper mindsets toward enrichment. The Komodo dragons are now more alert, regularly demonstrate problem-solving skills, and actively explore changes in their environment. Although it is too early to tell if this approach will prevent arthritis, the positive impact on both dragons and keepers is undeniable.

IPADS: THERE'S AN APE FOR THAT!

Matthew Berridge, Toronto Zoo

Smart phones and tablets have become ever increasingly popular because of their user friendly applications and the ability to easily access information. Virtually anyone can use them. Perhaps iPads could be used by highly intelligent great ape species, like Orangutans. It would provide exceptional mental stimulation and opportunities for the apes to control their environment on a daily basis. Imagine, giving the Orangutan control over what food it chooses to eat that day, which pen it wants to spend the day in, picking out the enrichment items it wants to use, even being able to communicate with Orangutans at other institutions. At the same time, this interactive technology not only stimulates the animals, but the Keepers and Zoo visitor. It can be used to showcase these highly intelligent animals and the need to preserve their habitat.
In April 2012, the Toronto Zoo received a donation of two iPads to use in our Orangutan enrichment program. Training began with our group of 2.4 Sumatran Orangutans (Pongo abelii) on basic applications designed for children, like memory games and drawing. We have also used photo, video, and even Skype as part of the iPad experience. However, there are many challenges of using a tablet designed for a human ape with a non-human ape. It became clear that we needed to get help with designing apps specifically for the Orangutans. We are in the process of creating apps for our group and other great apes to use as a communication tool with their Keepers.

MEETING IN THE MIDDLE

Kathy Streeter, New England Aquarium

The New England Aquarium acquired a hand raised, female California sea lion who had no regard for the trainer's personal space and tended to aggress toward trainers under a variety of circumstances. This compelled staff to significantly modify training protocol in order to safely interact with her. The sea lion was taught to generalize that anything the trainer did, that was not a conditioned stimulus, meant "If you go to your target, then you will receive some fish". For the sea lion, this eliminated the tendency to anticipate the next cue and the frustration that can result from attempting to interpret the many undefined movements by the trainer. In addition, the sea lion was encouraged to default to the target whenever she was unsure about something, or simply did not want to respond to the conditioned stimulus presented by the trainer. The change in protocol required the trainers to adopt a different mindset with respect to reinforcement contingencies and priorities. This allowed them to establish a safe zone for themselves and the sea lion by creating an unconditionally reinforced behavior. The training procedures, issues, concerns and benefits of the protocol established will be presented.

Tuesday, April 16th

Wednesday, April 17th

HONEY BADGER DOES CARE: TRAINING A PARENT RAISED RATEL TO BE AN ANIMAL AMBASSADOR

Kim Caldwell, San Diego Zoo Safari Park

The ratel, also known as the Honey badger, is famous for their tenacious attitude. Wild ratels have been documented attacking lions and hyenas in the wild when cornered. Our standard protocol at San Diego Zoo Global is to pull small carnivores to the nursery to be bottle raised when they are destined to be Animal Ambassadors. When considering the nature of the ratel, and that this would be the first ratel that we know of to be raised into a training environment, we were cognizant of the fact that the animal might not have long term success in our training program. From that assessment it was decided not to pull this animal from her dam in an effort to avoid her being imprinted on humans which could decrease the chance that she could go into a breeding environment as an adult. After much discussion about the slower development of ratel cubs in comparison to other small carnivores, we proceeded to let her be parent raised with daily socializing. The training and handling of any carnivore requires proactive and consistent training techniques. Creating a consistent and reinforcing environment without the rehearsal of aggression can lead to long-term success and positive relationships. This paper will discuss the socialization progression of a parent raised cub born at the San Diego Zoo in 2008; operant conditioning techniques used to harness, leash and crate train the female ratel "Benzy," as well as managing potential territorial and possessive aggression and her overall lack of patience.

UTILIZATION OF AN OFF-LEASH RECALL TO OVERCOME AGGRESSION IN AN ADULT MALE RACCOON

Quincy Sweeney, Carissa Alverez, America's Teaching Zoo

In 2009, a young male raccoon (Procyon lotor) came to America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College. Students at the zoo immediately began desensitization training as well as collar and leash training. These methods were successful until early 2011, when after a series of aggressive events he was temporarily deemed a protected contact animal and no free contact work was to occur until a new training plan was created for him. In late 2011, the assumption was made that the restraint from the collar and leash was the cause of the aggression. Therefore, a training plan was developed with the goal of working him off-leash safely. The cornerstone of this training plan was the development of a strong recall that he would choose over such distractions as scents, loud noises, and other animals that would be unavoidable when taking him out of his enclosure. This paper will discuss the specifics of the recall as well as the positive conditioning techniques used. We will describe the steps taken as well as some of the mistakes made during the training process. While working an animal such as a raccoon off-leash is a risky endeavor, we found the use of the recall extremely effective and potentially useful in training other animals with similar behavioral issues. Using these techniques we were able to take an adult male raccoon beyond the borders of his enclosure.

THE EFFECTS OF TRAINING ON THE FEATHER PICKING BEHAVIOR OF A PALM COCKATOO (PROBISCIGER ATERRIMUS)

Marjorie J. Ulyan, Elena Less, Starr Kelley, & Jim Nemet, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

In 2000, a male palm cockatoo (Probisciger aterrimus) arrived at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to participate in the Zoo's live animal programs. Prior to his arrival, his records indicated that he was a feather picker. The palm cockatoo's feather condition appeared to fluctuate over time. It was observed that his feather condition appeared to be at its best when he was actively being trained. This study investigates how positive reinforcement training affects the feather condition of this palm cockatoo. The amount of time spent training the cockatoo was altered throughout the study. Training occurred for 30 minutes a week during baseline, then a goal of 60 minutes minimum a week was set for the experimental phase, and finally the training was reduced to 30 minutes a week again to return to baseline. Behavioral data was collected and the feather condition of the cockatoo was recorded. It was hypothesized that the cockatoo's feather condition would improve as the amount of time spent training the cockatoo increased. As training time increased, the palm cockatoo's feather condition improved suggesting that training had a positive influence. Most behaviors did not appear to change during the study with the exception of swaying, pacing, and inactivity. Training will continue for the palm cockatoo and Zoo staff is currently investigating the effects of diet on the cockatoo's feather condition.

BEYOND THE BEGINNING: MAINTAINING A SUCCESSFUL LONG TERM CHEETAH RUNNING PROGRAM TO OPTIMIZE HEALTH, MAINTAIN CHEETAH FOCUS AND MAXIMIZE COLLECTION USE

Linda Casteneda, Alicia Sampson, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Cheetah running programs are becoming prevalent in zoological facilities across the globe. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden (CZBG) has led the pack of this trend and began running cheetahs off zoo grounds in the early 1990s, mostly for the health and enrichment of the cheetahs. In 2007, the Cincinnati Zoo opened the Cheetah Encounter show on zoo grounds to share the cheetahs amazing speed and agility with visitors. The show popularity has grown and each year the Cheetah Encounter staff performs approximately 200 running shows, with 2 cheetah runs each show. The Cheetah Encounter collection consists of 3.3 cheetah and each cheetah runs between 5-7 times per week, both on grounds for the show and off grounds for training. Though the Cheetah Encounter Show only runs from May- October for the zoo visitor managing the cheetah running program is a year round process for the trainers. Cheetahs are superb athletes and clever hunters; mimicking their natural behavior and instinct in a captive environment requires constant attention to detail, careful planning and endless creativity.

This paper will discuss how the CZBG cheetah running program is managed to optimize animal health, maintain interest in running, problem solve when cheetah are "bored" or performance decreases and keep it fresh for animals and visitors alike. This paper will also discuss the preparation, challenges and lessons learned during a unique collaborating between the CZBG and National Graphic Magazine in June 2012 to record a cheetah running at top speed with high definition camera equipment.

FREE CONTACT TRAINING WITH BABOONS: A CASE STUDY

Stefanie MacEwan, Bowmanville Zoo

Everyday zoo keepers are presented with the challenge of providing captive primates with different forms of enrichment. Our goals, to reduce stereo typic behavior and to provide the best quality of life. Since 2006, Bowmanville Zoo has been able to offer their baboons (Papio hamadryas and Papio anubis) a unique form of enrichment; free contact training. 5 of our senior staff have been trained in working directly with the troop. The ability to work free contact with our baboons provides us with the opportunity to take them for daily walks through the zoo, swimming in their favorite creek, explore in the children's playground, and to take them to on site housing where they can watch t.v and spend quality grooming time with their beloved trainers. We are also able to closely inspect any injuries, easily vaccinate and provide veterinary care with little stress. A case study will be presented on the training and integration of 4 baby baboons in to a troop of 3 adults who displayed stereo typic behavior when arriving at our facility. A review of training procedures and techniques, advantages to free contact training, and video will also supplement the case study.

FLYING WITH A FLOCK: A MACAW TALE

Kenny Coogan, Scott Trauger, Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo

In 2012, the Animal Ambassador Team at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo took on a large venture which consisted of training seven newly fledged macaws to fly as a flock. While most zoological facilities have free flighted shows, TLPZ included, this behavior was designed to reach a broader audience.
To train the behavior, seven stations were placed along a winding path within the zoo. The birds were to fly that path and kennel themselves at the front plaza. This first leg of the behavior culminates with a zoo visitor pressing the button that opens the kennel doors. The birds then fly over the zoo visitors, around a large manatee fountain and use the stations to return home. The stops that the macaws make at each station became such valuable moments for the trainers that we decided to employ them as meaningful defining moments.
Once our guests learn that the animals are trained to partake in daily exercise, they are intrigued as to how we have trained the birds. The zoo paths become a stage that the birds and the guests share making the connection between the human and animal world that much closer. We can now successfully reach the entire zoo guest demographic compared to only those who are at the Birds of Prey show. The quick stops at the stations allow us to promote our bird show, keeper talks, positive reinforcement training and parrot conservation. This borderless behavior occurs twice daily and is roughly .40 miles/.63 km a day.

NATURALLY INSPIRED: ENHANCING PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS USING NATURAL BEHAVIORS

Sarah Colman*, Brandon Lenenski, Erin McEwan, Sara Squires, and Becky Wolf, Dallas Zoo, Dallas, TX

The Dallas Zoo's Giants of the Savanna opened in May 2010, giving guests the chance to experience a variety of African species in naturalistic exhibits intended to encourage the expression of species-appropriate behaviors. The Predator Rock area, home to cheetahs and lions, features a specially designed area where keepers share with guests how positive reinforcement training helps provide animals with exemplary levels of care. The 2011 ABMA Conference was an exciting opportunity to observe how natural behaviors are being incorporated into public demonstrations by industry peers. The addition of natural behaviors to the daily Predator Rock demonstrations was the next step to enhance an already popular and well-attended guest experience. Keepers will showcase not only husbandry behaviors such as voluntary injections and blood draws, but also behaviors and features that make lions and cheetahs some of Africa's most iconic predators. Proposed behaviors for the lions include presenting a paw and opening the mouth against the viewing glass, a vertical leap in front of the viewing glass, leaping across the exhibit rockwork, and running as a pride around the exhibit. Proposed behaviors for the cheetahs include presenting themselves laterally against a viewing window to allow a guest to measure/inspect them, and running at speed around the exhibit. These behaviors were chosen to showcase the cats' size, speed, agility, and anatomical specializations; and so that guests could participate in the training experience. This paper highlights the process taken to accomplish this ambitious project, including planning, working through difficulties, and finding success.

HOW IMPLEMENTING A FORMAL TRAINING PLAN IMPROVED EFFICIENCY, CONFIDENCE AND EFFECTIVENESS IN TEACHING 1.1 KING PENGUIN CHICKS (Aptenodytes patigonicus) TO FEED THEMSELVES

Valerie Bogie, SeaWorld San Antonio

Penguins, on average, eat 10% of their body weight every single day. Multiply that by over 200 birds made up of 4 species- Kings (Aptenodytes patigonicus), Gentoos (Pygoscelis papua), Chinstraps (Pygoscelis antarcticus) and Rockhoppers (Eudyptes chrysocome), ranging from 5 pounds to 40 pounds, and that equals hundreds of pounds of fish fed out every day! To hand feed each penguin would take hours, and with a small staff, large number of animals, and multiple other responsibilities, time is precious. For years, SeaWorld San Antonio has fed their penguins the bulk of their diet through self-serve pan feeding. Training each penguin how to feed themselves out of a pan can take months, in some cases years, before the bird is truly eating on their own. This training process was improved in 2012 by implementing a formal training plan with 1.1 King penguin chicks. The chicks were set up for success by having clear expectations, and although the training process took more time initially, its effects are long lasting and the two chicks were eating on their own faster than any other King chicks in the park's history.

EACH ANIMAL A STORY. HOW THE USE OF OPERANT CONDITIONING AND POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT TOOK AWAY BORDERS BOTH PHYSICAL AND PRECIEVED FROM AN ENTIRE DEPARTMENT

Jason Slade, Texas State Aquarium

The Texas State Aquarium's Wild Flight's team manages a collection of both program and exhibit animals. Three years ago they began changing the behavioral management in two major ways. First they put all animals on a training program and began to use trained behavior as a major component in their management. Second they began using only operant conditioning in their training. The animals included raptors, hornbills, parrots and mammals which included an African servel and white nosed coati. The same principles were used with all animals in the collection. Emphasis was given to giving the animal the maximum amount of control in their sessions, building reinforcement histories, dynamic reinforcement to promote generalization and differential reinforcement schedules when faced with undesirable behaviors especially aggression. Initially there were several setbacks and degradation of then current behavior however; the team persisted in the use of sound principles adjusting their application to each animal. Eventually each animal became more predictable, easier to work with and are making and achieving behavioral goals not previously thought possible. The quality of programming increased as well as the quality of animal husbandry. Trainers and animals are beginning to challenge the borders of what each is capable of.

This paper will explore the ongoing process of introducing Australian native possums (Ring-tails and Brush-tails) into the established QBE Free-Flight Bird Show.

COOPERATIVE INVESTIGATION INTO DECOMPRESSION STRESS IN STELLER SEA LIONS

Nigel Waller, Troy Neale, Danielle Hyson, Vancouver Aquarium

Since 1993 the Vancouver Aquarium and the University of British Columbia have run a research program dedicated to understanding the 80% population decline of Steller sea lions (Eumetopius jubatus) over 30 years in the North Pacific Ocean. As a part of this program, we collaborate with researchers worldwide. Recently, in collaboration with a group of scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Texas A&M, our open water trained Steller sea lions participated in one of the first ever attempts to investigate decompression stress in free diving marine mammals. In order to collect sufficient data, our 0.4 sea lions each participated in 12 voluntary anesthetics, eight voluntary blood draws from the hind flipper, and 24 voluntary ultrasounds over two two week periods, separated by approximately two months. This work was all in conjunction with collecting respirometry data while diving and foraging at 50m for 30 minutes in an open water setting. At the end of these dives, the animals were loaded back onto our transport boat and returned to their holding pens. The animals were under behavioural control for upwards of 90 minutes for each research session. While we were collaborating with the international researchers on this intensive research, we had numerous successes and overcame some great challenges, all under some tight deadlines.

Thursday, April 18th

Friday, April 19th

A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A POLAR BEAR: QANNIK'S FIRST YEAR

Jane Anne Franklin, Steven R. Taylor, Dr. Brent White, Pat Lampe, Louisville Zoological Garden, Centre College, Alaska Zoo

On April 26, 2011, the second phase of the Louisville Zoological Garden's newest exhibit, Glacier Run, opened. It was just a few hours later on that day that a small four month old female polar bear would be seen wandering alone on an ice road in the North Slope of Alaska. This paper will document that journey from the North Slope to the Alaska Zoo and finally to Louisville. The behavior management plan used for her initial care in Alaska and then to her integration into the Glacier Run exhibit will be described.

DONT FORGET TO PACK YOUR BEHAVIORS!

Danila Cremona, Los Angeles Zoo

Consistency in training is essential to a successful conditioning program. Maintaining consistency with fellow trainers proves to be an on going task. Training new keepers in, on animal behaviors takes matters a step further. Keeping good records, descriptions of behaviors and communication between institutions to carry behaviors with a transferring animal may seem impossible! It isn't! Follow a journey of a Jaguar and his training program from one institution to another. From one section of a zoo to another and from one keeper to another........and another. The communication between veterinarians and keepers and the dedication to excellent animal welfare for an animal, keep his training program in full swing. Together we maintain the health and well being of this magnificent cat!

CRATING AND RELOCATING GROUP HOUSED CAPUCHINS USING POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT TRAINING

Sandy Jabas, America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College Exotic Animal Training and Management

America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College has housed a troop of brown tufted capuchins (Cebus apella) since 2000. In 2012, it was decided to catch all seven capuchins to allow medical work-ups and to move the group to a different enclosure. In the hope to avoid the stress of traditional wrangling techniques, students decided to train all members of the troop using positive reinforcement training to simultaneously enter individual crates in which they could be transported and anesthetized. Training challenges included newly established relationships between the capuchins and trainers, having only twenty days to complete the training, and more dominant animals interfering other animals. Trainers used small approximations that resulted in the crating of all capuchins in two minutes and twenty-three seconds the day of the workup. New training challenges were encountered following the work-up as the animals were released into a new enclosure. Our response to these new challenges were to immediately begin desensitization, relationship rebuilding, and station training. This paper discusses the successes observed during this training and examines areas of improvement. Because animal and human behavior can be pushed beyond the borders of tradition, we believe these techniques could be applicable to other sensitive animals living in group housing. Our end training goal is to re-crate train all the capuchins for future medical and evacuation purposes; currently, two crates have been reintroduced.

SUPER SAKI SATURDAYS

Jennifer Hennessy, Roger Williams Park Zoo

Creating engaging, interactive exhibits can be challenging, especially when the physical facilities are neither visually engaging nor conducive to interaction. At Roger Williams Park Zoo, the public relations department and the animal care staff collaborated to develop a program which showcases some of the amazing adaptations of our 1.1 white faced Saki monkeys Pithecia pithecia, to create a more appealing and effective exhibit experience with no physical changes to the enclosure. We did this in three steps. First, we expanded the behavior management program of the saki monkeys. Next, we created a keeper presentation utilizing this enhanced training and actively seeks out visitor participation. Finally, we combined the first two elements and shared the experiences with the public beyond zoo grounds via social media. "Super Saki Saturdays" has led to improved animal welfare, a better exhibit experience and a significant increase in the level of engagement with and interest in the saki monkeys.

PROBLEM SOLVING WITH APES: USING THE IPAD TO PROVIDE NOVEL ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Helen Boostrom, Houston Zoo Inc

The Houston Zoo is home to ten chimpanzees and six orangutans. Developing novel and stimulating enrichment for these intelligent primates is a constant challenge. The iPad was recently introduced and evaluated as a new enrichment activity over a six month time period. In an effort to keep the iPad novel and give each ape an equal opportunity for interaction, all individuals were given five minute sessions at least twice a month. A variety of applications were offered for the apes to interact with or observe on the iPad. These applications were divided into categories dependent on certain criteria including auditory stimulation, visual stimulation, interaction level, activity level, and problem solving components. Their interest level and interaction were recorded for the iPad itself as well as for specific applications. In this study, it was determined that juveniles had the most interest in the iPad as well as in the highest variety of applications. Adult females also showed a high level of interest in the iPad but often had specific applications that they favored based on individual preferences. Adult males had the lowest interest level. Differences between the species were minimal with both species showing a preference for brightly colored applications that also provided auditory stimulation. The information gathered from this evaluation is being used to further develop the iPad as an enrichment activity by providing insight into what types of applications would be the most enriching to introduce to these two species in the future.

MAASAI: THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW TRAINING TECHNIQUES ON AN AFRICAN SERVAL

Carissa Arellanes and Chandelle Cotter, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

The Wildlife Department at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom houses a variety of mammals, reptiles and birds. Maasai, a seventeen year old African Serval, who had previously been worked in a free-contact setting, displayed some aggressive behavior and was soon deemed unsuitable for free-contact training. When a new team of trainers took over his care, they decided to reevaluate his current handling protocol. A training plan was implemented and, through the use of operant conditioning techniques, staff members were able to reestablish and strengthen their free-contact relationship with him. Not only does he once again participate in educational programs, but trainers have also established new husbandry behaviors which include a voluntary injection and blood draw behavior. (In addition, he is currently learning a voluntary blood pressure behavior.) These new behaviors now allow Maasai to participate in his own husbandry care, providing him with increased mental stimulation and more positive interactions with his trainers.

TRAINING VOLUNTARY INDUCTIONS IN PROGRAM PARROTS TO AID WITH MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS

Liz Evans and Tami Goodman, National Aquarium Baltimore

The National Aquarium, Baltimore has a small collection of animals that are used for education programs, special events and enhancing the visitor experience. These animals are frequently in close contact with the general public, so they receive thorough, annual medical exams. The two parrots in this collection, a hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) and an umbrella cockatoo (Cacatua alba), have been trained a variety of medical and husbandry behaviors using positive reinforcement techniques. This allows the staff to perform routine care (e.g. wing /nail trims, administration of oral medications from a syringe, application of topical treatments) and several minor procedures (e.g. nasal swabs, physical examination by a veterinarian, cardiorespiratory auscultation). It is still necessary to sedate the animals each year for phlebotomy and radiographs, so the birds were trained inhalant anesthesia induction using voluntary control. The individual birds have very different temperaments and preferences, so distinct training plans were needed for each animal. Close collaboration between the veterinary staff and the animal trainers was also crucial during the training process. Having all of these behaviors in the parrots' repertoires has made the annual exam process much safer and less stressful for the handlers, vets and animals. In particular, the voluntary inhalant anesthesia induction has been integral in allowing more invasive procedures to be performed with minimal stress on the animals.

"YOU'RE IN GOOD HANDS" - USING BEHAVIORAL KNOWLEDGE TO CULTIVATE GOOD PROGRAM ANIMALS

Will Bruner, San Antonio Zoo

For many years a variety of animals have been used by institutions as "ambassadors", helping further their educational messages. These animals can play a vital role in the mission of the institution by allowing up close and personal experiences to visitors and audiences alike. Historically, these collections have often been a mix of domestic and non-domestic species which are typically presented in a free-contact context most often held or carried by a person, be it staff or volunteer. These animals often have no choice in how they are handled or presented and yet are asked to be calm in various situations, even allowing close physical contact in many. So, are there ways to make these experiences more positive to an animal that is not typically part of a formal training program? By utilizing knowledge of each animals natural behaviors and it's natural history we can give these animals more control and choice over their environments thus making them not only better program animals, but making them true "ambassadors" for not only conservation, but for better animal management practices.

BMF WINNER
IT TAKES A VILLAGE: TEAM TRAINING BIG CATS AT THE HENRY VILAS ZOO

Amy Schilz and Jess Thompson, Henry Vilas Zoo

Henry Vilas Zoo is a relatively small zoo with a small staff, so every keeper works in areas outside those of their primary responsibility at one time or another. This means that the big cat area currently consists of two adult tigers, two adult lions, and thirteen adult staff members. Because of the shared nature of our duties, the goal of this project is to get the entire staff participating in positive reinforcement training (PRT) for the big cats. As the Henry Vilas Zoo progresses with our PRT goals and strategies, we realize the need to desensitize the cats to multiple people and distractions, facilitate better sharing of information between staff, and transfer behaviors to a wider group of trainers. The involvement of keepers from other animal areas will help the entire staff work collectively and have a vested interest in moving the big cat area forward. This big cat behavioral husbandry plan allows all involved keepers to continue learning and practicing training techniques in a team setting, helps build trust between keepers and animals, as well as fosters an environment for sharing ideas. Knowing the strengths of the staff members in our facility, and utilizing them where they fit best with our individual lions and tigers is a key component in successfully reaching our PRT goals. We hope that this strategy will serve as a model for teamwork in other areas of the zoo, as well as in other facilities.

TIGERS IN THAILAND

Jacinthe Bouchard, Formation Jacinthe Bouchard Inc

As North Americans, we have a particular view of animal welfare and human-animal relationships. We implement training and enrichment programs, provide health care, and have strict breeding programs. Would it be different if, as Buddhists, we believed in reincarnation and believed we should let the animals' Karma decide what is good for them? Care for the Wild International was worried about the welfare of the tigers and other animals housed at the Tiger Temple in Kanchanburi Thailand. This Buddhist temple, is a very religious place and a popular tourist attraction where about 40 Bengal hybrid tigers cohabitate with the monks. The tigers are imprinted and are walked on leashes among various animals and temple visitors who are able to touch them. In 2008, Care for the Wild International asked me to visit the temple and I have returned for 3 years since. I tried my best not to be judgmental about their procedures. I lived full time with monks in a Buddhist environment. Despite a language barrier, I learned about their radically different views. I learned from the monks, who believe that animals don't belong to humans but to the universe through reincarnation. Their faith and culture make their approach to animals extremely different. I saw an impressive imprinting program and also witnessed very concerning animal and human living conditions. I think my visits at the temple were worthwhile. While I couldn't change the interactions with tourists, I had the Temple improve enclosures for many animals including the retired tigers.

COLOR DISCRIMINATION IN WHITE-NECKED RAVENS (CORVUS ALBICOLLIS)

David A. Kaser, James S. Kellam & Mark G. Rivardo, Saint Vincent College

Corvid birds such as ravens, crows, and jays, are highly intelligent and have been shown to discriminate between visual stimuli based on colors and quantities. We hypothesized that ravens are able to distinguish between a green target stimulus and of both low-contrasting and high-contrasting colors. Virginia, a White-necked Raven (Corvus albicollis) was tested on a variety of levels of contrasting colors presented on a series of Skinner operant conditioning modules. Sessions included high contrast colors, low contrast colors, and an array of colors. Each session was video recorded and then analyzed to determine total number of bill or foot strikes to the target stimulus. We found that even though Virginia was pre-trained to target to the green module, she preferentially chose the novel module when reinforcement for the green module was not preset. Even though Virginia did not show a color preference, her tendency to choose the novel module indicates that she is able to differentiate two nearly identical color stimuli.

WHEN YOUR REINFORCEMENT WORKS AGAINST THE BEHAVIOUR YOU'RE TRAINING OR HOW TO HARNESS AN ACORN WOODPECKER

Mary Pounder, WildCare

In February 2012, WildCare acquired a hand-raised 1.0 Acorn Woodpecker for our Wildlife Ambassador Program.
Acorn Woodpeckers spend a large percentage of their day collecting and caching food, mainly acorns. This caching behavior worked to our advantage during "recall" training. After coming to the glove and being reinforced, he would fly off to cache his treat. He was then set up to repeat the behaviour.
In January 2013, a plan was developed to train him to participate in off-site programming. Since woodpeckers have fairly weak legs, an anklet similar to those used by raptors was not a restraint option. The alternative was a harness. The plan was to tether the woodpecker to a "caching" log and provide food. The educator could then present the bird performing natural behaviours in a safe setting. We simply had to train the woodpecker to a harness. Simple right? Not so much.
The training required him to stay on the glove, but a large part of his reinforcement was the opportunity to cache his treat. Our dilemma was how to train the non-natural behaviour of accepting a harness which required the bird to remain on the glove when his reinforcement was largely the natural behaviour of caching food which necessitated leaving the glove. This paper presents the various challenges we faced throughout the training process and how we delved into the depths of our imaginations to come up with solutions.

AUSTRALIAN POSSUMS: CHALLENGING OUR BORDERS

Brendan Mark Host, Taronga Conservation Society Australia

Taronga Zoo's (Sydney, Australia) QBE Free-Flight Bird Show was established in 1997 and since then has presented over 10,000 shows. These shows aim to entertain and delight, whilst inspiring our patrons to act for conservation. To assist six "Take Action" themes were devised.
To support this initiative, Australian native possums were considered as a new species that could be introduced. It challenged the borders of our current show; the borders of our existing knowledge (training and welfare) and in an international context may challenge the borders of the zoo keeping community's understanding of our possums.
This case study focuses on "Richie", a hand-reared Common Ring-tailed Possum that was acquired in late 2011, chosen as an ambassador species for the "Take Action" message of 'Save and Create Habitat'. Unfortunately "Richie" was not successfully introduced to shows, however did make substantial progress and green-lighted the acquisition of Common Brush-tailed Possums, our preferred choice. He has since been transferred to our Education department.
As such, the main elements of this paper focus on the successive approximations and operant conditioning strategies used (primarily positive reinforcement), the welfare implications considered, the need for choice and predictability, and the overall outcome of the venture.

TRAINING URINATION ON CUE IN SUMATRAN TIGERS

Amy Sarno, Downtown Aquarium Denver

A voluntary urine collection behavior has been trained to two of the 4.0 Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) at the Downtown Aquarium in Denver, Colorado. Prior to beginning any training of the behavior, data was collected to determine if the tigers exhibited any patterns of urination relating to time of day or location. Once some patterns were discovered, training began, utilizing behavior approximations and positive reinforcement. Tiger A was trained in four months to urinate on cue and allow a trainer to place a collection device (a Frisbee™ on a stick) under his tail to collect the sample. The behavior is continually worked and maintained to allow for the collection of a monthly sample without the need for sedation. A voluntary urine collection has also been trained for one of Tiger A's littermates and is in the process of being trained for the other two tigers housed at the Downtown Aquarium. This paper focuses on the challenges encountered in training this behavior to all four tigers and how they were overcome.

CLOUDED LEOPARDS, STAGES AND CAGES

Maureen O. Duryee And Lorena Walton, SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL

Clouded leopards are notoriously shy animals, occurring deep in the forests of South East Asia. There are only 277 of these cats managed in zoos worldwide and to the best of our knowledge; the San Diego Zoo Global is the only zoo in the world that has trained adult clouded leopards on leash in shows. This achievement did not happen without many challenges associated with their shy behavior, breeding cycles, and food drives or lack there-of. We currently have two females and one male. For 10 years they were housed in quiet off-exhibit pens. 3 years ago they were moved to another area of the zoo, when a new program was developed; BACKSTAGE PASS. Both females were placed on public exhibit for the first time. The male moved up one year later. We will discuss all the issues associated with these moves, the daily exposure to the public, their continued performance in shows and the new USDA protocol for hands-on sessions with these cats; two leashes must be used for public safety. After many trials and tribulations, all three cats are presently and consistently performing on the new stage. Some of the challenges working with these animals include zero food drives while in estrus, having an intact male housed nearby and being extremely timid to new environmental stimulus.

THE POWER OF TRUST

Steve Martin, Natural Encounters, Inc., Dr. Susan Friedman, Utah State University

Trust is the foundation for productive relationships between trainer and animal and is essential for creating reliable behavior we want to see from the animals we train. Trust is also a critical component of relationships we form with coworkers and other people in our lives. Building enduring, trustful relationships with animals, both human and non-human, is best accomplished with a solid understanding and skillful application of the science of behavior change. This paper will operationalize the construct "trust" and examine the most important behaviors leading to the development of enduring trust accounts with the animals in our lives.

Pre-Conference Trip

Niagara Falls
Saturday, April 13

Maximum number of participants: 30
Cost: $30 (CND), includes transportation to and from the Falls, admission to the Butterfly Conservatory (lunch and dinner not included)
Transportation provided by Toronto Zoo Staff

Schedule:

9:00 AM: Delegates meet in hotel lobby receiving a package of Niagara info to help plan their day
9:30 AM: Depart for Niagara
11:00 AM: Butterfly Conservatory (part of Niagara Parks)
12:30 PM: Depart fot the Falls
1:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Free time at the Falls! Depart after enjoying the lighting of the Falls at sunset.

Post-Conference Trip

St. Lawrence Market
Saturday, April 20th
Time: 10 AM - 1:00 PM (arriving at the market for 10:30 AM and departing for the hotel at 12:30 PM)

Maximum number of participants: 30
Cost: FREE!
Transportation provided by Toronto Zoo Staff

No visit to Toronto is complete without a trip to the St. Lawrence Market, voted best food market in the world by National Geographic! Participants will be escorted to and from the market by Toronto Zoo staff.  This is a walking tour and travel time is estimated at about 30 minutes each way.  A map will be provided so participants are also welcome to explore the market at their leisure and make their way back to the hotel on their own.  The 'capacity' of the trip is very flexible but it would be helpful to have a rough idea of the number of participants so we can organize an appropriate number of guides.

For more information, visit www.stlawrencemarket.com