If asked the question, "Do you have an enrichment program or a training program at your zoo or aquarium?" a director might point to a plastic ball floating in a sea lion pool. "Yes, see, we’re providing enrichment for the sea lions." That same director might talk about a diabetic monkey that has been trained to take insulin injections. "Yes, we have a training program." But what happens if the keeper that trained that monkey leaves the zoo? Does the ability to inject the monkey leave with that keeper? Do the sea lions receive enrichment every day or just on the days that a highly motivated keeper works? What is the goal of adding a ball to the sea lion’s pool? Was it successful in enriching the sea lion? How do you know? If a director was asked to characterize his/her enrichment or training program, what would that include? Are these programs successful? What is the curator’s role in an enrichment or training program? These are all difficult questions to answer and perhaps even more difficult to ask.

Our point here is that isolated enrichment or training events do not constitute programs; simply identifying a position (e.g., Enrichment and Training Coordinator) does not constitute a program. As an example, providing veterinary care or adequate nutrition to captive animals is not done in a haphazard way. Veterinary care and nutritional plans are integrated programs and there is an expectation at the director, curator, and keeper levels that animals will be medicated and fed in a prescribed and consistent manner.

• Currently, some enrichment programs appear to be reactive and driven by some current situation (e.g., "What do we do about the pacing polar bear?"). Many current enrichment programs are typically limited to certain species (e.g., "I think primates, carnivores, and marine mammals should be enriched because they are more intelligent.").

  
  
• Most enrichment programs may not be self-sustaining, (i.e., they appear dependent upon a few highly motivated keepers).
  
• And finally, some current enrichment programs appear to lack strong leadership or direction (i.e., "What is our institution’s goal?"). We feel that zoos and aquariums that have "pockets" of successful enrichment or "pockets" of successful training do not have successful, sustainable programs.

A successful program is goal-oriented, self-sustaining, and integrated into the daily management of the animals – just as veterinary care and adequate nutrition are integrated into daily management. We suggest here that a successful enrichment program is not only integrated into the daily management of the animals, but a successful program is dependent upon three important components: a solid framework; staff perspective, attitude and training; and perhaps most critically, leadership [from Sevenich MacPhee & Mellen, 2000a].

Disney's Animal Programs Enrichment Framework:

 We will describe a framework for enrichment that is in the process of  being implemented at Disney’s Animal Programs and may be applicable to your zoo or aquarium.

• The framework represents a process or a structure that can be used to develop and sustain a successful (goal oriented, self-sustaining) program.

• This framework provides an outline of the elements needed for a successful program.

• The end result should be a program that includes not only the ‘what’ and ‘when’ of enrichment, but will also provide evaluative tools so that we’ll know how well a particular enrichment initiative is working.

• The program you develop will also identify the respective roles of Aquarists, keepers, Managers, Curators, Veterinary staff, etc. This framework and this approach to developing enrichment plans is a dynamic and new process.

• As always, we encourage you to provide constructive comments and suggestions in improving not only the product but the process as well.

Many components of this framework are not unique, and likely resemble things you have implemented at your own institution. We feel that what makes the framework successful and sustainable is the commitment to follow through on all steps of the framework.

AZA Course “Managing Animal Enrichment and Training Programs”

The Association of  Zoos and Aquariums offers the course “Managing Animal Enrichment and Training Programs”, which provides managers with a background in developing these programs at an institution. See www.aza.org for more details.