1. What is an Ethologist?

An ethologist is a scientist specializing in the study of the behavior of living beings, whether animal or human.

Ethology is concerned with all the factors that lead an individual to express a particular behavior. Observing animals in the zoo provides us with indispensable information on the well-being, normal and abnormal behaviors, and intra- and inter-specific relationships of the various animals present.

Margo Traimond is an ethologist who joined the Guadeloupe Zoo team this year. She plays a vital role in the lives of our little furry, feathered and scaly protégés.

An ethologist in a zoological park has a number of responsibilities:

The first, and by no means least, is to be in charge of monitoring animal welfare. After making observations, he and the entire zoo team determine what actions need to be taken to ensure that the animals feel as comfortable as possible. Together with the animal caretakers, Margo regularly rearranges the enclosures and proposes activities to stimulate the animals' natural behaviors as much as possible. This is what we call environmental enrichment. For example, you can see in the film how our red-handed tamarins (Saguinus midas) have set up special food dispensers, forcing our primates to slide their little hands into the holes in the ball to extract the food.

In the next episode, we'll look at another facet of the zoo ethologist's job.

2. Medical training

As promised, we continue the saga of Margo's job as Ethologist at the Guadeloupe Zoo. In addition to managing the zoo's animal welfare, the ethologist's second mission is medical training. Medical training is a behavioral technique that encourages animals to consent to certain procedures and examinations.

Since her arrival, Margo has been working with Victor, our spotted male jaguar, the zoo's doyen at nearly 20 years of age. As you can see from the video, training is always carried out behind the wire mesh of the animal's night lodge. There is never any direct contact between the animal and the ethologist. Using precise techniques and scientific know-how, Margo proposes exercises to accustom the animal to daily care, such as opening its mouth to check the condition of its teeth, showing its paws to observe the growth of its sometimes problematic claws, or simply remaining static to control its breathing, etc...

For Victor, it's vital to be able to monitor his state of health on a regular basis, without any chemical restraint or even the slightest stress. Training remains a game for the animal, as it is based on voluntary participation. In fact, Margo offers to enter the dressing room at night for training, and only if the animal wishes to do so does she enter - nothing is ever obligatory. For Victor, Margo never has to wait long. In fact, despite his advanced age, he retains a boundless curiosity and is always keen to discover new exercises. It has to be said that he and Margo have developed a real bond, without which none of this work would be possible. These daily meetings with Margo have become real privileged moments for Victor who, like a child after an intensive game, hastens to take a good nap in his paddock once the training session is over...

The next episodes will continue the adventures of Margo and our furry friends.