Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World's Premier School for Exotic Animal Trainers

I was a graduate of this program in 1991. The book brought back so many memories. It also really gave an emotional look into what a student goes through. It also shows the different walks of life that enter into the program. I was able to really relate to the book since I knew many of the animals. I had two friends read it and even though they never met the animals felt like they had a connection. Great job!

I had already heard of and visited the "Teaching Zoo" before reading this book. However, getting an in-depth look at the 2 years I will be facing when I attend the school was both daunting and exciting. I feel much more prepared for the EATM program having read this book, or at least as prepared as one can be. Ms. Sutherland's description of the training and especially of the difficulties for a first year student were incredible. She managed to get across the intensity of the program and the dedication of the students without making it sound impossible. As other reviewers stated, it would be beneficial to take notes on the animals', students', and teachers' names. I often had to flip back in the book to find which baboon was which, and to find out if the person speaking was a student or teacher. Just a tip- take notes. Overall, this book was all I could have hoped it to be. Informative, interesting, frank, funny, and a must have for any animal lover or prospective student. My only worry is that this book will increase the popularity of the school, and therefore make it even harder to get in. Ah well, the price of fame.

I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book. As a 1997 graduate of the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program the book brought back a lot of memories both good and bad. The author did a very good job at impartially portraying daily life at the school and the types of people that attend the program. The daily grind of waking up early to clean the zoo, long days of very challenging course work and dealing with your 2nd years lording it over you while having to endure all the of the petty squables in your own class. She also did a good job at showing how the school affects all aspects of your life, in essence you have to give yourself over completely for 2 years and everything else (family, spouses, income,...etc) are all subordinate to EATM. But on the other hand she captured the wonder and joy of working with the animals and being able to have close personal contact with them. Being able to walk Rosie the baboon or sitting next to her cage and grooming with her made all the other cares and worries go away. If you are thinking about going into the animal field or just interested in it I highly recommend this book. If you are thinking about applying to EATM then this book is a must read, nothing else will allow you to make an informed decision about attending the program like this book. Overall for me this book brought back the roller coster of emotions that I felt while attending EATM and a lot of good memories, thanks for the book.

I have been an animal lover since I was a child, and have read numerous books about animals. I can say with certainty that this is one of the best books I've ever read, even when the animals reported on were human beings. Amy Sutherland is a gifted observer and an entertaining writer. She wisely stays focused on life (and death) at the school rather than going off on tangents with additional information about the many animals she writes about. She captured the intensity, dedication and courage needed to complete this remarkable school. And the book has some very interesting surprises, such as the animal who proved to be the most dangerous one. It was just fascinating to read about how certain animal behaviors in films and on TV that we may take for granted require countless hours of patient positive reinforcement training. I also admired how the author freely described the fear she experienced in the few animal interactions she was privileged to take part in. I just regret that Sutherland didn't include an index. She wrote about such a wide variety of animals and people it was sometimes hard to keep track. Some photos would also have been helpful. But using Google was an easy enough solution for that. Overall, this book was a joy to read!

I've often puzzled over those prodigy animals who pirouette on cue, or leap out of the water with a human on their nose. How'd they learn that? This book was a guided tour through the fascinating world of animal training, at the school you attend if you want to train animals to perform in movies, at Sea World, and so on. The school has a "staff" of exotic creatures who do their best to keep the students on their toes. The risk of learning the hard way -- by tooth and claw -- is real and severe. But as the school year progresses, the students gain mastery of a reward-based method that's as applicable to the family dog as it is to the school's resident baboon, cougar, and camel. The training approach might be summed up by the phrase, "Put that on a cue." When an animal naturally performs a motion -- especially if that motion is part of a larger trick you want to teach -- you reward that motion and give it a command name. So when my dog looks up, I could give him a cue -- "up" -- and a reward; before long, when I say "up," he'll point his nose skyward. Step by step, trainers build complex behaviors, like dolphins leaping in synchrony or a sea lion holding her mouth open for a dental exam. It's harder than it sounds. The author reports that a number of students can't stomach the rigors of early rising for poop-scooping, book-learning, and pigeon-killing (to feed the carnivores), and wash out of the program. Others lack the patience necessary to teach a rat to perform in the mandatory rat-tricks class. But some human prodigies do rise to the occasion, and absorb the subtle language of wild animals. These are the lucky souls who will spend their lives in that privileged realm that separates most of us from the wild creatures we love.