An examination of husbandry training in zoos: A scoping review

The modern zoo has been characterised by the use of cooperative care training techniques to manage husbandry procedures. However, limited reviews or information are available in the peer-reviewed published literature about these techniques. In this review we examined the peer-reviewed literature exploring these training procedures, discovered which species were lacking research, and how different species responded to this training. Initially three online scientific databases were searched to locate papers for review. Once found, the PRISMA-ScR format was followed using the Covidence review tool to identify publications for inclusion, resulting in a final review of 20 papers. In all included papers, food rewards were offered as positive reinforcers. None of the included papers utilised coercion and all successfully trained the goal behaviour. Over half of the studies were carried out in the USA. Training sessions lasting less than 20 minutes every 1 to 2 days were most common. Studies were typically no more than 20 weeks. Training via shaping, often in conjunction with clicker training, were the most frequently used techniques. Over half of the trained behaviours were intended to ease animal handling, with others assisting sample collection and medical treatment. Several knowledge gaps were identified within this topic as well as a strong bias towards training mammals. However, the few papers on non-mammal species illustrate the generality of reward-based training methods across taxa. Implications for future research are considered, including increased demonstrations across a variety of species and examinations of training challenges encountered. • Husbandry training has become an integral part of zoo practice and welfare. • Little is known in the published literature about the common practices of zoo training. • We reviewed 20 papers across multiple variables, including species and training type. • Reward-based training using shaping and clicker training across was most common. • Future research should involve more diverse species and training goals.