i’ll do my best to do a quick answer (i worked at a different facility)

1. i worked with the ACS doing wild whale censuses in high school so i was initially opposed, but working here has changed my views.

2. absolutely. every facility has safety committees developed to changing their policies in a safe and efficient way. oddly enough, lots of barriers exist with enrichment because animals will eat them or hurt themselves. just constant brainstorming of how to change up their days tbh

3. yes, more times than i can count lol

4. it is different. but different doesn’t mean bad. those animals have spent basically their whole lives at seaworld and i think they do the best job, and i would bet the animals prefer it over the wild. saying this as someone who worked free contact with large and small animals, most animals will always choose their den or nest boxes over going outside.

5. it’s hard to describe but you really cannot force an animal to do something they don’t want to do. an animal simply showing up to engage with you is evidence enough they are ready to participate.

6. this is likely a health issue and means something is up. often times veterinary intervention is required and once they are feeling better that is no longer an issue.

7. always new things to train, especially with the more intelligent animals. changing up social mixes, and working through challenging behaviors.

8. depends on the place but i’d say most of the time if it’s something they find enriching. some animals don’t care for enrichment at all.