Rhinos: One on One
Posted at 11:03 am February 19, 2009 by Laura Weiner
Our two Indian rhino brothers, Surat (pictured) and Soman, have been progressing well with their training. In my previous post (Rhino Brothers Form Attachment) our goal was to separate them and put them back together with no issues; when they are separated, we don’t want either one to be nervous or even aware of the difference.
My training partner and I began by walking them each while on exhibit (of course, we are on one side of a metal pipe fence and they walk beside us on their side). When they became comfortable with this behavior, the next step was to put one of them in the barn and work with the other on exhibit alone. First we put Surat in the barn. One of us “held” Soman steady in one area of the exhibit while the other opened the door, called Surat in, and gave him treats for his good behavior. Surat had never been alone on exhibit without his brother so we thought putting him in the barn first would be the best idea.
I took this chance to work on desensitizing Soman for voluntary blood draws. The second trainer asks Soman to “step up,” which means for him to move his outside leg forward one step. Then he is asked to “steady.” This means he holds his position and does not shift his weight around or move the leg. He gets a reward (a piece of apple, yam, or carrot) for standing still. During this time I touch his leg, palpate the vein, and even use my keys to simulate the needle stick. As long as he stands still, he receives treats and many “good boy!”s from his trainers. Then we walk him, turn him around and do the same behaviors on the opposite leg. He has been doing a great job at standing still and allowing us to prepare him for the time when the vets might need a blood sample. It is always preferable to have an animal voluntarily give blood than having to anesthetize them. And it makes me feel great that I taught him how!
Once we were finished, one of us took Soman for a little walk and the other let Surat out of the barn. He behaved wonderfully while alone in his barn; he did not bang on the door or even vocalize (which sounds almost like a low version of a cow mooing, it is very cute). He also got a short walk and some keeper time. Surat is growing up and learning some manners, which is great. He is more patient and seems to be eager to work on behaviors.
Now each of the boys take turns going in the barn, and so far it is working great.
Laura Weiner is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
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February 19th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
As always, I’m thrilled to learn more about a zoo animal’s training. It’s fascinating how all the various animals are taught new behaviors and there’s always something that I learn and can apply to enrich my domestic cat’s existence. That’s a great picture of Surat in motion, too. Thanks for sharing part of the rhino brothers’ lives.
February 19th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
I went to the San Diego Zoo on Wednesday and Soman and Surat were both playing with each other. It was really fun to watch and they really act like two brothers!
February 20th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
thanks for the up-dates on the rhino brothers. I have been following your post since the beginning and so enjoy learning of the progress that you are making. kudos to you! it amazes me how animals can be trained in this manner. in the past, we must have underestimated their intelligence and what their responces would be. it’s great that zoo keepers and trainers have experimented with different things and enrichments for the benefit of both animal and human! keep up the good work and continue with your enjoyable up-dates.
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:58 pm
I was at the zoo a few weeks ago, and I saw Soman licking Surat for the first time! I got a few pictures of them. Quickly reffering back to your blog about the baby meerkats, I was there last Friday and saw two of the babies in the black tub with one of the adults, and later on the bus tour, a few of the adults were in the tub.
June 7th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Laura,
I just wanted to thank you for allowing me and my family to talk to you about Soman on Wednesday last week. You allowed us to come in and see Soman up close in his crate. My son, TJ, had been wanting to buy a Koala bear all day, but after our encounter with you he wanted a rhino. He really wanted to make sure we named his stuffed animal after the one was spent so much time with. So I came onto the site and thankfully found your blog (I couldn’t remember his name!). Soman is now named and our son is thrilled!
Thanks again for taking so much time out of your day last week. My children were both thrilled and they are asking us when we are going back to the San Diego Zoo (we live in Chicago). It’s people like you who make learning about rhinos and other animals a thrill for ALL of us! Keep up the good work!
Laura Swidorsk (& family)