Some animals at the Beijing Zoo are being taught to tolerate
medical check-ups without the use of anesthetics, thanks to a
behavior-training program launched last April.
On Tuesday, a tiger, giant panda and gorilla were coaxed to
endure blood sampling and other health check-ups carried out by
zookeepers and vets.
"In this way, we can reduce possible injuries for animals and
make conventional health checks like ultrasonography easier than
ever before," said He, a zookeeper in charge of the training, which
has been given to 62 species of wild animals or more than 60
percent of the zoo's residents.
(Beijing Times November 23, 2007)
