LINDSAY JACQUIER: For every procedure leading up to it, we do a lot of operant conditioning, so training with them, medical behaviors. We do work with them frequently throughout the year, not just leading up to the procedure. 

But we make sure that they are comfortable with the injection. So we work with desensitizing them to a syringe and needle on their shoulder, their hip, one of their body parts that it will be getting injected of day of. That way they're just ready for it. 

TAYLOR YAW: On the keeper side, weeks ahead, we meet with the keepers to talk through the plan. Just make sure that we're all on the same page, of where we're going to do it. Make sure we have the right specialists there, the right equipment. 

And then really on the day leading up to the day, the keepers are working with those animals to try and make sure that they can get a voluntary hand injection for the sedation, and then just making sure that animal is looking nice and healthy. 

If they get any kind of respiratory disease ahead of time, we'll always hold off on these procedures. But really just kind of monitoring the animal and making sure that it's in a good place from a training perspective to get the procedure performed.