Suid Training Survey Results TANYA BARTON-GARCIA DALLAS

Why do a training survey on suids

Not much information found on suid training • Open up discussion and communications amongst AZA facilities and keepers Find out what other facilities are doing • Training • Pubic demonstrations • Geriatric and special needs animals To see how we might improve current training program at Dallas Zoo To make connections in the suid world About the survey

Survey had about 14 questions Other Babirusa 45 facilities participated 10% 11% Warty Total of 205 suids that were accounted for 8% Peccary Number of individuals represented 19% • 28 Babirusa Warthog • 35 Peccary 19% • 74 • 25 Warthog Red River • 18 Warty Pig Hog • 25 Other 33% The ‘Other’ Group

American Guinea Hog Berkshire pig Eurasian Kune kune pig Miniature Juiliana pig Ossabaw island pig Vietnamese Pot bellied pig A breakdown of the numbers

NUMBERS OF FACILITIES NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT REPRESENTED PARTICIPATE IN TRAINING Males Females Babirusa 8 Babirusa 12 16 Peccary 13 Peccary 6 8 Red River Hog 23 Red River Hog 28 26 Warthog 13 Warthog 10 10 Warty Pig 6 Warty Pig 10 5 Other 7 Other 16 4 Total 82 69 Average age of suids that participate in training

12

10 Males

8 Females

6

4

2

0 Babirusa Peccary Red River Hog Warthog Warty Pig Other How are these animals being trained

25

Individually

20 With other animals

15 We do not train

10

5

0 Babirusa Peccary Red River Hog Warthog Warty Pig Other Types of behaviors

HUSBANDRY DEMOS/PUBLIC INTERACTIONS • All species - foot work, blood draws, injections, •Babirusa – paint ultrasounds, line up, scale, crate, target/station trained, turn, up, sit, open & general tactile •Peccary – follows trainer, circle •Red River Hog – run, manipulation of object, •Babirusa – tusk trims, swimming A-B in pool push or roll an object, root, paint, recycle •Red River Hog – radiographs, tactile on eyes •Warthog - speak, manipulation of object, protected contact hand feeding with zoo camp •Peccary – Calm demeanor kids, paint, run •Warthog – tactile on eyes, tongue •Warty Pig – N/A presentation, urinate on command •Other – ‘Recycling’ items, jump hurdles, weave •Warty Pig – cooperative feed, tactile on ears through cones, bowling, follows trainer, rolls out a red carpet •Other – walk on leash, tactile on eyes and ears

Daily interactions with Suids

12

10

8 Free contact 6 Protected contact Combination of both

4

2

0 Babirusa Peccary Red River Hog Warthog Warty Pig Other Aggression displayed

10

9

8 Males

7 Females 6

5

4

3

2

1

0 Babirusa Peccary Red River Hog Warthog Warty Pig Other Types of aggression

•Biting (other animals and keepers) •Displacement of another animal •Excessive vocalization from animal •Aggression from male when female is in estrus •Food •Tusk throwing

*Food aggression appears to be the main trigger of any aggression, across the board with all suids Where is all this training being conducted

16

14

12

10 Barn both 8 exhibit

6 Other

4

2

0 Babirusa Peccary Red River Hog Warthog Warty Pig Other How frequently are animals being trained

16

14

12

10 Babirusa Peccary 8 Red River Hog 6 Warthog Warty Pig 4 Other 2

0 1X per week Multiple times per Everyday Weekends only Whenever Randomly week requested/large Conducted attendance Conservation or another message provided

16

14

12 Yes

10 No

8

6

4

2

0 Babirusa (8) Peccary (13) Red River Hog (23) Warthog (13) Warty Pig (6) Other (7) 29 facilities provide some form of a message (conservation or other)

&

41 facilities do not provide any type of message to the public

Conservation messages

•Poaching •Over hunting •Habitat destruction & loss •Trained red river hog to recycle a cell phone - talk about cell phone recycling and impact of Colton mining on habitat loss in Africa & trained miniature Juliana to recycle plastic bottles (Cincinnati Zoo) •The bush meat crisis and all it affects •Global warming & climate change •Rounding up for Conservation program •Incorporates utilizing deforestation free palm oil (Philadelphia zoo) Other types of messages

•How babirusa have adapted in comparison to other pigs (Roger Williams Park) •Their intelligence & current training behaviors/routines •Specifically for warthog’s – “guest mention ‘ugly’ they are. Keepers talk about their warts and neat stories of a warthogs ability to take out lions with their tusks, ultimately changing guests opinions of these animals” (Denver Zoo) •Pig are used to educate public of the use of them as a form of meat and for their alternative uses (Buffalo Zoo) •Teach guests to care about nature will inspire them to take action or make changes in their lives to help the environment. (Cincinnati Zoo) •Rare domestic breeds •Warty Pig is a critically endangered species that remains only on three islands (Santa Fe Teaching School)

How many geriatric or special needs animals participate in training

6

5 Males

4 Females

3

2

1

0 Babirusa Peccary Red River Hog Warthog Warty Pig Other Specifics about this group

NUMBER OF ANIMALS THAT WERE REPRESENTED AGE RANGE Males Females Babirusa 2 Babirusa 7-10+ N/A Peccary 7 Peccary 10+ 10+ Red River Hog 9 Red River Hog 8-10+ 10+ Warthog 5 Warthog 10+ 10+ Warty Pig N/A Warty Pig N/A N/A Other 2 Other 1 &4 N/A

Geriatric or special needs training

•Babirusa – Unable to retract penis (Bronx Zoo), Heart disease (San Antonio Zoo) •Peccary - takes food from a feeding stick for meds 2x’s per day (Santa Fe CC Teaching school), Cataracts (Sedgwick County Zoo) •Red river hog - Injury to mouth (ABQ BioPark Zoo), hoof injury working on voluntary hoof trims (Dallas Zoo) •Warthog - Daily eye drops needed (ABQ BioPark Zoo), Over weight animals •Warty Pig - N/A •Other - Health problems since they were acquired (Berkshire Pigs @ Buffalo zoo)

What’s next

•Article for Animal Keepers Forum

•Improve on training program at Dallas Zoo

•Network

•Open communication on conservation and suid training Credits

•Dallas Zoo •WPPH TAG - for supporting and sending out the survey •All who participated in the survey and answered any additional questions I had •Photo and Video Credits: • Cincinnati Zoo – Eunice Frahm, Juliana Pig training video • Dallas Zoo – Cathy Burkey, RRH training video • Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Lori Kurdziel, WH training video • Philadelphia Zoo – RRH training picture • San Antonio Zoo – Babirusa training picture

Zoos that participated in survey

• ABQ Bio Park Zoo •Cincinnati Zoo •Happy Hallow Park & Zoo •Oregon Zoo •Alexandria Zoological Park •Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo •Houston Zoo •Phoenix Zoo •Assiniboine Park Zoo •Cosley Zoo •Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens •Philadelphia Zoo •Audubon Zoo •Dallas Zoo •Kansas City Zoo •Reid Park Zoo •Binder Park Zoo •Denver Zoo •Little Rock Zoo •Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens •Brevard Zoo •Dickerson Park Zoo •Living Desert Zoo •Roger Williams Park • •Disney’s Animal Kingdom •Milwaukee Zoo •Sacramento Zoo •Bronx Zoo •Disney’s Animal Kingdom • Zoo •San Antonio Zoo Lodge •Buffalo Zoo • •San Francisco Zoo •Elmwood Park Zoo •Caldwell Zoo •Oklahoma City Zoo •Santa Fe Teaching School •El Paso Zoo •Cheyenne Mountain Zoo •Omaha Zoo •Sedgwick County Zoo •Fort Worth Zoo •Sunset Zoo

QUESTIONS