History In The Making

	Web www.zoo-iq.com

The show is closed this winter for remodeling.

written and © copyright 2003

by Lin Stone

The whole front half of the Zoo With I.Q. lobby wall is covered with clippings about the Brelands who started the show rolling.  The I.Q. Zoo was started by Dr. Keller Breland in 1955 It has had non stop animal shows ever since then. 

Jim Clowers started HIS career with the I.Q. Zoo in 1965.  He was one of the few remaining original trainers actually taught by the Brelands.  There came a time where Jim was able to take over ownership and operation of the zoo.

When Jim retired for health reasons, Richard Ford came on the scene and learned the trade from Jim.

In 1943, Keller and Marian founded Animal Behavior Enterprises (ABE) and began the study of many animal species. In 1946, they trained barnyard animals to advertise farm feed for General Mills. This was the world's first commercial application of the new behavioral technology initiated and made famous by B.F. Skinner. 

By this time, Marian and Keller recognized that it was the timely and precise application of what Skinner called the secondary reinforcer that made the new training method so powerful, and a leap ahead of any other training technology at that time. It was Keller and Marian who coined the term "bridging stimulus," which was later shortened by trainers to the simple word "bridge."

The Brelands moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1950. Their business expanded, and they trained hundreds of animals for fairs and tourist attractions nationwide. The I.Q. ZOO was opened in 1954,and it soon became a popular tourist attraction. The animals they trained were featured in Time, Life, The Reader's Digest, the Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Many famous people, including such notables as Walt Disney and Marlin Perkins came to Hot Springs to learn techniques from the Brelands.

Early on in their career Marian Breland put their accomplishments into proper perspective.. "Thirty-eight species, totaling over 6,000 individual animals, have been conditioned, and we have dared to tackle such unlikely subjects as reindeer, cockatoos, raccoons, porpoises, and whales."

A. B. E. or Animal Behavior Enterprises, Inc. was moved to a 280 acre farm near Hot Springs AR. By 1962 the staff had trained over 7000 individual animals belonging to over 40 different species in types of behavior tricks almost too numerous to count.  Usually there would be over 300 animals in training there at any given time.  When Keller began the business their only assets were a mortgaged farm, and $800 in savings, one baby and a determination to make the science work. 

Since they had to earn a living, they began by producing trained or conditioned animal behavior for advertising firms. After four months of hard, concentrated effort, they developed a little show using ordinary barnyard chickens, which had been rescued from the neighbors stew pot.

One chicken played a five note tune on a miniature piano, one chicken did a lively tap dance in costume and shoes, a third chicken laid wooden eggs to order (any number up to five or six) from a special nest box.

General Mills rented the show for their summer fairs, advertising their farm feeds across the middle West. The show made a tremendous hit, and the following year other acts were added.  The third year a pig was trained in a housekeeping routine. She picked up the dirty clothes, vacuumed the house, went shopping, ate at the table, and the pig impressed everyone by answering questions.

NAVIGATION

Front Page  *  On With The Show  *  the animals  *  history  *  Learn animal training  *  free gifts  *  the guest book  *  contact us  *    Lin Stone  *  resources  *  the egress  * 

Zoo With IQ is found at 201 Central Avenue

In historic downtown Hot Springs, AR 71901

Phone (501) 623-9695