Science: I.Q. Zoo

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The most talented animals trained by the Brelands are on exhibition in their "I.Q. Zoo," a tourist attraction at Hot Springs, and 250 of them are on the road for General Mills. They draw attention to General Mills' exhibits at agricultural fairs and of course always pick G.M. products as their favorite foods. The Brelands enjoy their commercial success, but they regard it as a pleasant way to pay for expensive research. Their leading interest is still animal psychology, and they are sure that they have learned enough already to help farmers control their animals. Example: a farmer should always be noisy in the turkey pen so that the turkeys will get used to noise and will not stampede and kill themselves during a thunderstorm.

Another Breland project is to reform U.S. zoos. Breland believes that zoo animals should be trained to perform instinctive acts when given a triggering signal. In a Breland-type zoo, the spectator could put a nickel in a slot if he wanted to see the monkeys dance or the hippo plunge into his pool. For a larger coin, a quarter perhaps, he might see a lion charge out of a thicket and leap with hideous roars on a simulated gazelle.