5 Cruel Animal Training Methods
Friday, 24th September 2021
Bullhooks
A bullhook is a long rod with a sharp hook at the end that is commonly used on elephants. These hooks pierce the elephant's sensitive flesh (typically behind the ears or ankles), inflicting excruciating pain. From a young age, elephants used in circuses or for rides are taught to fear the bullhook.
Elephant tourism has grown in popularity among visitors to Thailand. Elephant camps that offer tourists the opportunity to ride elephants in the jungle or witness shows with elephants painting, dancing, or performing feats operate under the illusion that these creatures are intelligent enough to learn and enjoy the attention. Bullhooks, on the other hand, are used to control the elephants' behaviour in all of these attractions. These attractions are rarely the fun-filled experiences they claim to be, as they rely on pain and terror.
Whips
Whips are used to make big cats, bears, and other animals perform in the same way that a bullhook is used to impose learned fear.
Whips are one of the various punishment-based training methods available. These techniques are designed to educate animals to link specific behaviours (disobedience, violence, etc.) with punishment, preventing them from acting out badly. Whips, like Bullhooks, are objects that animals learn to identify with pain and fear. The sight of a whip should theoretically be enough to compel an animal to cooperate, but when they are frustrated or antagonised, they act out (understandably), and trainers must "remind" them who is in charge by hitting them.
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Chains
Elephants are kept in chains while they are not performing. Elephant calves are shackled standing up for up to 23 hours a day during the six-month "breaking period," during which they are taught to be subservient to their trainers.
Elephants that are employed for trekking and painting expeditions must also go through a period of rest. Cuts and scarring around the elephant's ankle are common after being chained for a long time, especially if they are constantly pulling on the heavy chains to escape.
Prods with Electricity
Electric prods can be used to train circus animals under the Animal Welfare Act. Tasers are used to teach animals to perform tricks by way of fear and pain. After they learn that failure to perform will result in a shock, animals do tricks on command – often prompted by the intimidation of the prod.
Electric prods are frequently used to teach animals for usage in movies. Animal Defenders International looked into the methods used to train elephants in the movies "Water for Elephants" and "Zookeeper," and discovered that the elephants were repeatedly shocked with electric prods to compel them to do the actions the producers desired.
Starvation
Operant training is a method of teaching animals to do tricks by depriving them of food or water and then rewarding them once the performance is completed. This strategy is used by circuses to ensure that animals perform on cue during shows.
Taking selfies or photos with wild animals has become a popular tourist attraction in both the United States and overseas. Animals learn to associate being fed with these actions when they are denied food or water until they sit and posture.
Similar techniques are used to educate animals used in marine parks for entertainment. Dolphins and orcas are very intelligent creatures, but they are reduced to flipping and begging for food. SeaWorld trains its orcas in pairs and withholds food if both animals fail to do the task correctly. The dissatisfaction that these animals feel might manifest itself in hostility, directed either at one another or at the trainers who are denying them food.
The News Talkie Bureau
Source
Onegreenplanet