Also, depending on your facility, and the protocol to be followed, this may not be allowed or even possible. Mutual grooming, scratching, rubbing, etc., can be done at many places if you handle it carefully. Depending on the facility, this can be an important part of your work since it allows you to get hands-on feedback from the animal. Coat condition, weight loss, tumors, parasites, cuts, or injuries can be found this way. Basically, some animals enjoy tactile more than others so you will have to use good judgment.
Training can greatly increase the intellectual focus of an animal.
Strategies should be planned out to allow for variations in animal and handler skills. Plan a bunch of things, from husbandry care to shaping behaviors, to occupy and challenge the animal's mind. Ambassador animals have the best of all worlds by being able to experience new locations, people, scents, and situations. Be sure to include denning behavior or crate training to help with on and off exhibit woes. Don't forget to ask for variations of the behavior, once it is completely trained.