Jenifer A. Zeligs, Ph.D. is the owner of Animal Training and Research International, which oversees a small “teaching aquarium” at California State University. She is the author of numerous articles and award winning presentations on animal behavior modification and its uses.
Dr. Zeligs has been working with animals since she got her start at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. while still in grade school. Since that time, she has worked with dozens of species of terrestrial and aquatic animals. She has also worked as a training consultant with exotic and domestic animals, as a veterinary technician, and with domestic and exotic animals trained to assist the handicapped. She has collaborated with and consulted for a large number of private and public facilities and organizations, and has trained animals for research, free release in the open-ocean, feature films and documentaries, public display, and veterinary purposes. Dr. Zeligs has been featured in dozens of documentaries and television shows including National Geographic Explorer, the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Dateline, NBC.
Of all of her accomplishments, Jenifer is most proud of her students, and finds the greatest joy in teaching and working with those passionate about their interests in conservation, animal care and training. Jenifer’s students now work with and manage a wide range of animal programs throughout the world. Jenifer currently teaches at California State University, Monterey Bay and mentors students from all over the world in cutting-edge animal behavior and husbandry.
Animal Training 101 