บท 19: Chapter 585: Foot Care Benefits
Pingping placed its foot on the railing, and Xiao Kong clicked the clicker, simultaneously tossing a piece of carrot to Pingping's mouth.
Pingping picked up the carrot with its trunk and ate it, while Fang Ye used a long file shaped like a ruler to file Pingping's toenails.
Su Hui exclaimed, "Wow, so well-behaved!"
"The keeper points, and the elephant lifts its foot!"
"Those toenails look like big buns, each one bigger than my fist."
"What if it hurts? Wouldn't it get angry and kick someone? This job seems a bit dangerous!"
"Trimming its nails makes walking more comfortable. Why would it get angry over something good for it? Look how well-behaved it is."
"It's so intelligent, knowing not to move during something beneficial!"
"Elephants are indeed very smart!"
The tourists, afraid of disturbing the work, spoke in hushed tones but leaned forward to watch and take photos, observing the elephant's foot.
Another keeper, Xiao Qing, maintained order, asking everyone to keep a meter away from the railing to give the keepers space to work.
While filing Pingping's foot, Fang Ye explained with a smile, "It's not just about intelligence. Trimming an elephant's feet is beneficial for them. Elephants might understand this, but that's not enough to make them cooperate.
The most important thing is our daily behavioral training!
Initially, we guide the elephants to touch the target stick with their feet. When they do it correctly, we click the clicker, which tells them they've done well, and then reward them with a small piece of their favorite food, like apples or carrots, to make them enjoy the training.
The training process also builds trust between the keepers and the elephants. It sounds simple, but it's quite complicated in practice. The first step alone took us a month.
Once they're familiar with the first step, we raise the target stick to get them to place their foot on this trimming window, then gradually get them used to the trimming process and various tools, mastering each step."
"Oh~"
The tourists let out a collective sound of realization.
Yan Ganghui felt a peculiar sense of wonder.
He used to think keepers just cleaned up and fed animals, similar to raising chickens or pigs. But now he realized it was far from simple.
It requires understanding animals, mastering theoretical knowledge, building relationships and trust with the animals, and having skilled techniques to complete such tasks.
The zoo isn't just a place to see exotic animals; it also showcases green farming practices, harmonious coexistence with nature, and the behind-the-scenes behavioral training, raising awareness and care for nature.
Lin Hai Zoo had truly broadened his horizons!
He now understood what a good zoo should be like.
Dust and fragments fell from Pingping's toenail as Fang Ye filed it.
Trimming looked easy but was quite labor-intensive.
After filing, he used a small knife to remove the dead skin on the toenail.
"If you don't cut the carrot, it feels like it'll be gone after trimming one toenail!"
"It looks like it's enjoying it!"
"So obedient, like it's been immobilized! Doesn't it tickle?"
"Put some effort into it, Master! I can take it!"
"Haha, is it like a bath scrub?"
After removing the dead skin, Fang Ye patted Pingping's foot and stepped back, smiling, "Switch feet!"
Actually, the sole hadn't been trimmed yet, but keeping one foot up for too long might tire it out.
Xiao Kong moved to the other side of the trimming window, pointed the target stick at Pingping's right foot, and tapped the bar.
Pingping obediently retracted its left foot and placed its right foot on the bar!
"Wow, impressive!"
"The behavioral training is really well done!"
The tourists were full of praise.
Fang Ye complimented, "Good job, Pingping, well done!"
He bent down to start filing again and explained, "Traditional behavioral training uses sharp elephant hooks, which can easily harm elephants, forcing them to comply.
But training based on fear is dangerous; the elephant might go berserk at any time, and it's bad for animal welfare. Nowadays, we try to avoid using them whenever possible.
We use positive reinforcement training, gaining the elephant's trust and making it willing to cooperate. Behavioral training isn't just for trimming their feet; it also helps with body sampling, skin care, wound treatment, etc., to keep the elephants healthy.
Of course, it's not that elephant hooks or negative reinforcement training can't be used at all.
Nowadays, zoos use modified hooks made of plastic or wood, without sharp edges, so they don't harm the elephants but still provide aversive stimuli.
I once heard from an elephant keeper friend that they had an orphaned elephant they wanted a mother elephant to nurse. Positive reinforcement training didn't work; the mother elephant refused and even hit the calf.
So, they used the hook to threaten her, forcing her to nurse. After a few sessions, she accepted the calf."
The tourists pondered over this dilemma.
"It feels like raising children! Sometimes, no matter how nicely you talk, they just won't listen until you give them a spanking."
Someone resonated deeply, "Don't even mention it. Helping my kid with homework makes my blood pressure soar! I feel like ending it all."
"Not disciplining makes them disobedient, but disciplining makes you regret it!"
Someone curiously asked, "Director, is trimming an elephant's feet dangerous?"
"How often do you trim their feet?"
Fang Ye smiled, "Of course, there's danger. The slanted bars between the railings prevent the elephant's trunk from reaching out. Trimming is done by two keepers: one trims while the other monitors and soothes the elephant with food.
Usually, we brush their feet two or three times a week. Major trims like this might happen once a month, grinding off excess nails to ensure the elephants walk on their soles.
Xiao Qing, bring that growth for everyone to see!"
While Xiao Qing fetched the growth, Fang Ye had Pingping switch feet and started brushing its sole. "You can observe its sole!"
The tourists squatted down for a better view, some even lying on the ground to look up, eager to learn.
Pingping, eating an apple inside, was puzzled by the tourists' actions.
What are these people doing? Are my feet really that fascinating?
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