Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched

March 13, 2006
Graduates of the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at California's Moorpark College land jobs in prestigious zoos, animal sanctuaries and research facilities, and they can be found in high-profile positions in Hollywood studios, the U.S. Navy and the organization Guide Dogs for the Blind. Sutherland (Cookoff: Recipe Fever in America
) chronicles the intriguing year she spent with students at this "Harvard for exotic animal trainers," accompanying the "first years" as they interact with the exotic and not-so-exotic animals in the teaching zoo—including baboons, cougars, servals, wolves, tortoises, snakes and rats. She attends classes in the rigorous academic program, goes to training sessions where the students learn to communicate with, rather than dominate, the animals, and discovers that the school is no place for anyone who thinks animals are cute: students may be attacked by emus, kicked by mule deer or backed into corners by camels. There is, however, much friction among the students, especially with the "second years." Sutherland observes that people who relate well to animals don't always relate well to other people, and this theme makes the book a fascinating study in human as well as animal behavior.

May 1, 2006
Who trains the animals that star in Disney movies, the dolphins that dance at Sea World, and the guide dogs that lead the blind? Mainly, it's the (mostly female) graduates of the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program (EATM) at Moorpark College in California, the premier school for animal trainers. Journalist Sutherland ("Cookoff") spent a year observing this associate degree program, following the students through their grueling 16-hour days as they cleaned excrement from cages, prepared special diets, memorized species' Latin names, and trained rats. She explains the positive, reward-based training methods taught at EATM pioneered by Karen Pryor ("Lads Before the Wind: Adventures in Porpoise Training"), which are improving the lives of captive animals. This fascinating account of these dedicated students -whose mantra is -The animals come first - -is recommended for career collections in public libraries and for academic libraries serving institutions with programs in animal behavior, veterinary technology, and preveterinary medicine." -Florence Scarinci, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, NY"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2006
It is a rare pleasure to see behind the scenes of EATM, the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program of Moorpark College, California, a world nothing like the Disney version of human-animal interaction. Here the students discover that anything with a mouth can bite and that excrement does not smell like daisies. The school veterinarian lectures on pus, death, and infected scrotums. While handling the animals, students "could be chomped, mauled, or even killed by an animal. Even the smallest nick could produce a surly infection." Animals are respected for what they are, and their behavior is shaped by operant conditioning. The graduates of this unique program find work in Hollywood, zoos, and the military. Sutherland does not gloss over past mistakes as she explains in detail the demanding EATM course work and charts the program's evolution into an outstanding source for top exotic animal trainers. Readers will acquire new and enhanced respect for a little-studied profession.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)