# Why are zoo keepers called animal "trainers" when they're not "training" anything?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-zoo-keepers-called-animal-trainers-when-theyre-not-training-anything/385296>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 23, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-zoo-keepers-called-animal-trainers-when-theyre-not-training-anything/385296 "2006-12-23T01:36:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-zoo-keepers-called-animal-trainers-when-theyre-not-training-anything/385296/1 "2006-12-23T01:36:27Z")

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[Per this story](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16331166/) what exactly is she training the tiger to do?

> [@](#):
>
> SAN FRANCISCO - A tiger attacked its trainer shortly after a public feeding Friday at the San Francisco Zoo, according to a spokesman.
> 
> The unidentified woman was taken to San Francisco General Hospital with injuries to both of her arms, zoo spokesman Paul Garcia said.
> 
> “One of them is pretty bad but at this point it doesn’t look life threatening,” Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White told the San Francisco Chronicle.

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-zoo-keepers-called-animal-trainers-when-theyre-not-training-anything/385296/2 "2006-12-23T02:08:30Z")

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They do train the elephants. They have to, to do things like lift their feet for cleaning and such. At least at the local zoo, that’s the only “trained” animal.

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**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-zoo-keepers-called-animal-trainers-when-theyre-not-training-anything/385296/3 "2006-12-23T02:15:53Z")

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They do a lot of training. It’s slower, and not as dramatic as with domestic animals, but they do train them. The training is usually centered around making it easier for a vet to examen the animal if it gets sick. A really common training for hoofed stock, for example, is to hande their feet. Makes it easier to keep their hooves trimmed. Very important for animals that aren’t walking the miles they normally would be and therefore aren’t wearing down their hooves and feet pads properly. Prevents lots of problems if you can train them to allow their feet to be handled and trimmed without sedating them.

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**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-zoo-keepers-called-animal-trainers-when-theyre-not-training-anything/385296/4 "2006-12-23T02:32:44Z")

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Damn! **Zsofia** beat me to it.  
Another example: training monkeys (lesser ape types) to come to a target so that they can be examened visually up close. If you just left them in the enclosure without training, they would be to scared.

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**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2006, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-zoo-keepers-called-animal-trainers-when-theyre-not-training-anything/385296/5 "2006-12-23T02:43:46Z")

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make that “too.” Goddamn rapid clicking!