Case Study One 

Modifying Aggressive Responses Toward a Specific Caregiver in a Male Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), Copenhagen Zoo

Transforming Aggression Towards a Specific Person: This male tiger at Copenhagen Zoo displayed persistent aggressive responses—growling, staring, sustained vigilance—toward one specific caregiver, behaviors maintained by negative reinforcement through the distance they produced from this individual. Rather than pairing food with his approach, which had previously produced conflicted responding, caregivers used negative reinforcement shaping within the constructional approach framework: the caregiver stepped forward briefly, then withdrew before an aggressive response occurred, reinforcing calm behavioral indicators with distance. After eight sessions totaling 42 minutes, the tiger's aggressive responses toward this caregiver fell out of his repertoire, and he began chuffing—an affiliative vocalization—upon hearing the caregiver's approach, allowing a transition to positive reinforcement-based medical training and educational presentations.

Video Credit: Annette Pedersen, Copenhagen Zoo