INTRODUCTION

There have been a number of voluntary behaviors used to manage animal health and welfare that have become standard training goals for animals in managed care. Some of these include training animals to stand on scales, hold position for hand injections, present hooves for trimming, and blood collection among others. With the introduction of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV2, we believe it is time to consider adding voluntary intranasal and/or oral swabs as behaviors to practice regularly especially with those species most vulnerable to the virus.

Animal Training Consultant Barbara Heidenreich, Annette Pedersen (Animal Training Coordinator at the Copenhagen Zoo),  Veterinary Staff and Zookeepers from the Copenhagen Zoo have collaborated to create the following course. We are very happy to share this (and encourage sharing) so that other zoos can utilize this information to easily collect samples as needed.

Please Note: The video examples presented here may not represent species most vulnerable to SARS CoV2. Some of the species were included to demonstrate how to apply the shaping plans.

Disclaimer: Information provided is not a substitute for veterinary advice. The authors recommend consulting with your veterinary professional before training this behavior with the animals in your care. There may be specific requirements for the species and individuals to be addressed that this general course and shaping plans do not cover. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication which is February 2, 2021.

DOWNLOADS for shaping plans and images can be found on this page.

Learn more about SARS CoV2 in our other free course Training Mammals with Social Distancing

Get more resources on animal training at www.AnimalTrainingFundamentals.com Pick a membership option below and enter the code SUNGLASSES and get a 25% discount for life. www.AnimalTrainingFundamentals.com also extends this exceptional discount to facilities. The facility membership allows each staff member their own individual log-in and opportunity for professional development, including verifiable badges for coursework completed. Learn more here