Veterinary care for wild animals usually means sedating the animal, caging it, and quick treatment, at least according to nature documentaries we've seen. But for animals in zoos, shooting a dart gun at a lion or tiger just because it needs a dental exam, a vaccine, or a pedicure is out of the question. The animals at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute receive top notch care that includes all those things, so a more humane system was worked out. The animals are trained to participate in their own care!
Of the six African lions at the zoo, three are considered geriatric cases at more than 15 years old, longer than they would have lived in the wild. They need some extra care from the staff. The lions have all participated in the voluntary training, since the rewards are their favorite food treats. The staff, who always stay behind a protective fence or other barrier, teach the lions to present a body part when prompted. This spring, keepers noticed 18-year-old Naba chewing funny, so they prompted her to open her mouth for them as she'd been trained. They took pictures to give to the veterinary dentist, who diagnosed her problems from the images and later pulled three of Naba's teeth. The same training allowed the staff to check her mouth during her recovery.
The lions are so well trained that all six lined up with their hips pressed against the fence to receive COVID vaccines. But this training is not limited to big cats. The zoo also uses this training with elephants and gorillas. The training not only allows animals to show the doctor where it hurts, but also allows for nail clipping and other maintenance, while keeping staff staff members safe and trauma at a minimum. Both links from the Smithsonian have more videos showing how their animals learn to be good patients. -via Metafilter