Lion Training at the NEW Zoo

Zookeeper Jessica works with the African Lions on a daily basis during a Training Session. We use Operant Conditioning, which means only positive reinforcement of desired behaviors. When the lion does what Jessica wants (or is asking), then the lion is rewarded with a piece of meat (reward!). If the lion doesn’t do the behavior that Jessica is asking for, she simply moves on to another behavior and does not offer a reward. Notice that Jessica uses a combination of target (the red and white bobber on the