Friday, June 6, 2008

#16: Seal Kisses

Training a seal to kiss is fun and begins with "targeting." Targeting is asking a seal to touch a particular part of their body to an object. The object chosen can even be somebody's cheek! In this video you will see Ursula, a female Northern fur seal, giving smooches to Jamie, Jenny and YOU!

-Belinda

Labels: Belinda, kiss, Northern Fur Seal, targeting, Ursula

1 Comments:

Anonymous said...: Cool!!

Great job Ursula:); June 15, 2008 11:46 PM

About

Why do we train seals? There are lots of reasons. Training keeps these intelligent animals stimulated. They really seem to enjoy learning new behaviors. Training also helps develop a close, working relationship based on trust. It's this trusting relationship that allows Aquarium biologists to work in close proximity to the seals so they can get checkups. This blog provides a window into the life and work of the Aquarium's marine mammal trainers.