Ripley's Aquarium of Canada | Zebra Shark Training

May 6, 2020  14:00

(GMT -5:00) Eastern Time

Event URL:  https://www.youtube.com/c/Exploringbytheseatofyourpants/live
Hosted by: Explore by the Seat of Your Pants & Ripley's Aquarium

Aquarist David Fraser will be demonstrating a behavioural training session with the Ripley's Aquarium of Canada's two female zebra sharks (Stegostoma fasciatum). The session will focus on tactile desensitization training. The ultimate goal is to reduce the stress of physical handling required as part of routine veterinary procedures. By training the sharks to come willingly and allow staff to handle them the need for general anaesthetic and/or to restrain the animals is greatly reduced. Routine procedures we are training the sharks for include physical examinations, blood draws, and ultrasounds. To prepare the sharks they have been trained to allow their trainer to hold them and flip them over onto their backs.