Posted at 3:11 pm March 17, 2009 by Clara
Keeper Hali Anderson reaches for a fish to feed to a Manchurian brown bear, which the keepers call Blackie. Keeper Anderson explained how keepers use positive reinforcement, in this case a yummy fish (Blackie’s favorite), to shape behaviors that help the keeper care for the animals. Here, Blackie had come into the back bedroom from the exhibit when Keeper Hali called him.
The Interns explore the enclosure in which Blackie spends a majority of his time. Over the years, the enclosure has had many makeovers as more information has been researched about what animals need to keep stimulated and healthy.
We wanted to see what we looked like from the other side of the moat in the brown bear enclosure.
Intern Liz showing off her superior hosing abilities, while helping Keeper Hali clean up Blackie’s Enclosure.
Intern Caitlin poses with the bucket used for organizing food for Blackie. Every day Keeper Hali Anderson hides the food around his enclosure to help keep him active and healthy. On this day she gave us fish, omnivore pellets (in Caitlin’s hand), grapes, yams and Blackie’s least favorite, spinach.
Clara, the photo team
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
