Vic keepers train zoo animals to say 'ahh'
Even animals need the 時折の oral check-up and - unlike most dentist-despising kids - some 居住（者）s at a Victorian Zoo are welcoming it.
Keepers have trained hippos, lions and a cheetah at Werribee Open 範囲 Zoo to 任意に open their mouths using special 手渡す cues.
Akin to children receiving a lollipop after seeing the doctor, the animals are rewarded with their favourite food once they open up and say "ahh".
It doesn't always make for pretty 見解（をとる）ing, 特に with the hippos, but 許すs the staff to 監視する oral health and 小衝突 or clean their teeth if need be.
Animal training co-ordinator Kelly Hobbs said the 強調する／ストレス-解放する／自由な approach to oral care stemmed from months of 現在進行中の training, 肯定的な 増強 and 信用-building.
"This trained behaviour 許すs us to get a really good look at the animals' oral and 団体／死体 health," she said on Wednesday.
"It's done in a way that's 安全な for both keepers and animals, and builds a really nice 信用ing 関係 between them."
The open-mouth training is just one of the several methods Werribee Zoo keepers are using to 供給する いっそう少なく intrusive care for its creatures.
Ms Hobbs said 招待するing animals to 参加する their own health care can lead to better long-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 health and lower 強調する／ストレス levels.
