Encouraging Autonomy (Part 2)

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Last week, I wrote about encouraging autonomy in children. I had read a parenting book chapter that made me think of little ways to empower my daughter to do things on her own.

Then I saw a quote shared on social media that shifted that same idea to the animals in my care:

“Let’s think hard…What are the things we do for the animals that they could do better for themselves?” - Jon Coe

This made me think: what could Carson the Red-tailed Hawk do for herself? What choices could we give her?

I typed the quote author into a search engine and found that Jon Coe is a zoo planner and designer. Much of his published works center around environmental enrichment. One of the designs featured on his website is an artificial rock formation in a lion exhibit. The large boulders naturally provide sunny basking spots and private shady spots. The lions can choose which microclimate they prefer and how visible they want to be. This is vastly different (and an incredible improvement in welfare) compared to early zoos where lions were housed in small, bare, concrete cages where they had no choices. 

“The organism with the greatest number of choices has the greatest freedom.” - Jon Coe


We try to incorporate options in our raptor mew design. We installed windows so they can choose to be visible or not. They have covered boxes where they can feel sheltered or they can sit under the skylight to have snow accumulate on their heads. 

Despite offering options in their mews, we dictate almost everything else in our birds' lives: what they eat, when they eat, how much they eat, when they come out of the mew, when they do a program, when their beak is trimmed. While much of this is necessary control (Carson would become severely overweight if allowed to choose how much she ate!), I try to give them a voice whenever possible. When it's time for a raptor program, I enter Carson's mew and literally ask, "will you step on my glove today?" Usually, she hops right on. Great! Sometimes, she gives the glove a look and bounces away to another perch. That's her way of saying "no," and I listen to that. 

My daughter will feel empowered, confident, and capable if I let her do things on her own and make her own choices. I want Carson to feel the same way. The path is the same: give her choice and control over her life.

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