Coventry, C. 2020. Positive reinforcement training as physiotherapy for a brown capuchin (Sapajus apella). RATEL (Journal of the Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers) 47(2), 16-17.

Physiotherapy can be used to treat an animal following surgery, to help correcting abnormal gait and for treating tendon, bone or ligament damage. […] Of course, an animal can’t just be given a set of exercises to follow. To carry out physiotherapy with animals, these exercises need to be learned and this can be done through positive reinforcement training and behavioural shaping. […] Training would take place three times a day, in approximately five-minute sessions, at least five days a week. […] Not only was this training successful in getting Diablo to walk again, he has also developed a much better relationship with myself and the other keepers. He enjoys training and when he spots me coming he will often go and wait for me on his training platform. He is much calmer, gentler and doesn’t get stressed out if the keepers are trying to interact with him. […] Not only is training enriching, especially for such an intelligent primate, but it is also hugely useful for improving the health and welfare of animals in captivity.

Year
2020