Many zoos and refuges are adopting 'clicker training' also known as 'Operant Conditioning', so animals can be worked with in a safer, less stressful manner. Using this method, some treatments can take place without tranquilizing.

Animals can be conditioned to step onto scales to allow weighing, to present paws or tails for injections, or to take blood samples. Less 'management' is needed, reducing chances of injuries to the animal, zoo staff, or veterinarians.

While some see this training as 'trick training' (which it could certainly lead to) it is a way of letting the animal have some control over how fast the treatment is given, reducing the amount of fear felt by the animal.

Shadow the Grizzly bear was found as a tiny baby, alone in a garbage dump. Perhaps her mother had died. Shadow is one of the most amazing animals Vicky has worked with. She caught on to what was being 'clicked' for, really quickly!

At first she wanted to do 'cute bear tricks', because visitors had been illegally feeding her, and she had learned what tricks they liked. She wanted to sit up, to raise her paws in the air, and other 'cute' behaviours. Vicky wanted more 'bear-like'' behaviour. Shadow soon figured this out, and was incredible to work with!

Linus the lynx was handraised and is relatively tame. He would sit on his shelf, which was shoulder height, and wrap his paws around his caretakers' necks, as they left his cage-which could have been dangerous.

To replace this behaviour with something safer, Vicky taught Linus to touch his nose to a target.

When someone wanted to leave his pen, Linus was asked to 'target', and Linus would rush over, and touch his target. This allowed people to enter and leave his cage safely.

Here Linus eats his treat, after he has touched his target, and heard the 'click'.

Once Linus could 'nose-touch' the target for several seconds through the screen while waiting for the 'click,' the behaviour 'touch your target, while being handled by the workers' was taught.

This allowed Linus to learn to accept having his harness put on and taken off. At first it took about 40 clicks and treats to get the harness on, and then off. Soon it took a fraction of that time, resulting in a lynx who was calm, because he had not been forced at any time.

Clicker training an animal allows the trainer to work at the speed the animal is comfortable with.