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

Friday, May 2, 2008

#4: Grooming Video

Keeping Clean, Keeping Warm

This video shows an example of grooming. Ursula, one of our female northern fur seals, is showing off her ability to keep her fur coat in great shape. Maintaining your fur takes a lot of effort when you have 300,000 hairs per square inch!

Labels: Grooming, Ursula, warmth

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.