Re finem for Annot ment a Prima tated nd En ates K Biblio vironm ...

89”If the animals are under stress while you are working with them, there is a great risk that theyshow aggressive reactions to you, in an attempt to get away from the stressful situation. One ofthe conditions of successful and safe positive reinforcement training is a stress-free workenvironment, both for the animal and for you. This means, neither the animal nor you should beunder the emotional influence of fear, apprehension or frustration. These emotions aredangerous when your handle monkeys or, for that matter, any other animals.You should reach a stage when you know that you can trust the trainee while you workwith him or her. This does not mean that you should not be alert, but any traces of mistrust andfear puts you into a seriously dangerous position. Do not work with an animal, unless you havetrust in him or her! For your additional safety, you will always have to make sure that yourinteraction with the trainee will not be disturbed or disrupted by any unexpected event, such aspersonnel entering the room or loud personnel passing in hallways.“Chambers DR, Gibson TE, Bindman L, Guillou PJ, Herbert WJ, Mayes PA, Poole TB, Wade AJ,Wood RKSBC 1992. Guidelines on the Handling and Training of Laboratory Animals.Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, Potters Bar, UKVery helpful outline of what has to be taken into consideration when training animals tocooperate during handling procedures. "Non-human primates, particularly the larger macaques,vervets, baboons and apes, are readily trained to cooperate in procedures such as presenting anarm for blood collection."Home Office 1989. Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Code of Practice for the Housingand Care of Animals Used in Scientific Procedures. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, UKhttp://scienceandresearch.homeoffice.gov.uk/animal-research/legislation/“ The least distressing method of handling is to train the animal to co-operate in routineprocedures. Advantage should be taken of the animal's ability to learn."Klein HJ, Murray KA 1995. Part C. Restraint. In Nonhuman Primates in Biomedical Research -Biology and Management Bennett BT, Abee CR, Henrickson R (eds), 286-297. Academic Press,New York, NY“The importance of training and adaptation cannot be overemphasized. This not only reducesstress to the animal but promotes safety and quality data collection."Laule GE, Desmond T 1998. Positive reinforcement training as an enrichment strategy. InSecond Nature Shepherdson DH, Mellen JD, Hutchins M (eds), 302-313. SmithsonianInstitution Press, Washington, DCPrinciples of positive reinforcement training are clearly outlined and applications reviewed."Animals are reinforced with pleasurable rewards for the desired behavioural response.Operationally, this means that positive alternatives are exhausted before any kind of negativereinforcement is used." Punishment "is only appropriate in a situation that is life threatening forperson or animal. ... Positive reinforcement training does not require any food deprivation. ...This training regime relies on voluntary cooperation by the animal to be successful."Laule G 1999. Training laboratory animals. In The UFAW [Universities Federation for AnimalWelfare] Handbook on the Care and Management of Laboratory Animals Seventh Edition PooleT, English P (eds ), 21-27. Blackwell Science, Oxford, UKVery helpful discussion of positive reinforcement training for cooperation during procedures."By making the shift to a more positive reinforcement-based system, the welfare of the animals issignificantly enhanced while providing better (less stressed) research models for the biomedicalcommunity."