By Erin McKinney
No doubt about it, animal trainers have been used and misused in the animal activist agenda. Rather then consulting them about their experience, the trainers, particularly those of the SeaWorld parks, who devote their whole lives to working with the animals at the center of the controversy have been subject to a variety of dismissive career judgments and personal attacks from armchair activists, including
To the “Blackfish” crew and their followers, if you aren’t one of their token “reformed” trainers who touts the glory of seapens and tells harrowing stories of the “horrors” of their career, you have no voice. You’re a corporate pawn, brainwashed, or even, according to the more militant, innately evil.
This is the case despite the fact that the only people who are truly qualified to discuss the day-to-day lives of marine mammals in human care are these trainers, keepers and other animal staff who work with them on a daily basis.
One of the most common baseless claims is that animal trainers, particularly those at SeaWorld, are just actors, and that hiring is based exclusively on your ability to prance around a stage in tight clothing. The truth is that SeaWorld’s animal trainers are an elite group of professionals. Over 90% of them hold college degrees, the most common of which are psychology, marine science, and biology. They all pass a rigorous swim test a minimum of once a year to maintain their fitness to continue working around such unique animals. They have years of experience; many senior level trainers have worked in the field for a decade or more. They are all SCUBA and CPR certified. And only after meeting those basic requirements are applicants stage tested for performance.
This level of qualification is by no means exclusive to SeaWorld. All over the country, animal care professionals at zoos and aquariums have similar resumes. They work every day of the year, get up before the sun, and engage in such glamorous tasks as scrubbing sea lion pens and carrying buckets of fish.
And activists have the arrogance to claim they are “just a pretty face.”
Far more hurtful then those accusations is the shamefully inaccurate idea that animal trainers do not care about animals, rather they derive some kind of bizarre joy from abusing and imprisoning their chargers. The more militant of the armchair activists have hurled incredibly disrespectful insults at SeaWorld’s animal staff, from “slave driver” to “jailer” to even, in the case of supervision, “head animal abuser.” Dr. Naomi Rose even insinuated, in San Diego’s “What SeaWorld and Blackfish mean for San Diego” debate, that people become trainers to “exert dominance over another species,” despite the fact that she herself has never trained a marine mammal.
Nobody loves animals more then a SeaWorld animal trainer. Those who pursue this career do so out of a often lifelong passion for sharing wildlife with the public, not out of some twisted drive to exert control over other living beings.
And to suggest anything less is not only ignorant, it’s deeply offensive and hurtful to the entire animal care community.
An animal trainer is not an air-headed Barbie, a whip-cracking ringmaster, or a bribed corporate shill. An animal trainer is an expert in hands-on care, keeping and behavior of the animals that they love. They are selfless, passionate individuals with no ulterior motive, no money, fame or fortune to be chased, unlike those on the activism side of the fence, who act as sensationally as possible to generate TV appearances, book deals and page views.
Anyone who works with animals, or knows someone who does, knows this to be the case. The early rising, physical labor and long hours are just a small part of a career that inspires and connects people from all over the world with some of the most beautiful animals on the planet. Is performing a part of the job? Absolutely. But performance is just the most visible component of what truly is a lifestyle that revolves around the animals themselves, a lifestyle that can involve working through weekends and holidays, working yet another night shift and carrying yet another bucket of herring. This is all done for love of the animals and love of the connections the animals are capable of making. This devotion and dedication applies not only to just marine mammal trainers, but zookeepers, husbandry assistants, veterinarians, aquarists, aviculturists, animal ambassadors, and even educators
I grew up with animal trainers as my heroes, and they still are. Rather then billionaire musicians or Hollywood stars, I looked up to the people that first introduced me to the oceans. Their kindness, work ethic and thoughtfulness make them unique and wonderful people. I’ve been honored to learn from them, and even more honored to call some of them friends (and coworkers.) Working with these professionals as a volunteer at my local marine mammal facility for the last few months has made me even more aware of their diligence and positive impact on the public.
Activists, armchair or otherwise, should respectfully seek information from trainers and keepers. They should ask questions, and express concerns. I don’t know a single animal professional that would not be willing to explain their work.
However, there is never an excuse for verbal abuse, name-calling, ignorant assumptions and hatred. It is amazing to me how often those seeking to defend the animals forget their own humanity.