Juvenile leopard sharks born at Townsville's Reef HQ Aquarium are getting up close and personal with the aquarists who look after them.

As part of Reef HQ's captive breeding program, aquarists use a variety of techniques to help the sharks become accustomed to human interaction so they are less sensitive to being handled and transported out of the Coral Reef Exhibit.

This includes teaching a male and a female leopard shark to feed on command using a target and reward system.

Reef HQ Aquarium aquarist Emily Bone said it was the important the animals felt comfortable around people as aquarists physically check the sharks on a monthly basis to monitor their health and wellbeing.

"Every month we have to weigh and measure the animals to ensure they're healthy so it is important that the sharks are used to being handled and in particular being picked up," Ms Bone said.

"It is much easier and less distressing for the animal having them conditioned to accept human contact and to meet at the one central location so we can pick them up and take them to the scales.

"It makes it easier for us handlers to move the sharks while it also reduces stress on the animals, particularly when the sharks are sick and are in need of vet attention."

Ms Bone said it had been a long enrichment process to get the animals to this stage of behaviour.

"The sharks are attracted by the smell of the food, but they must hit the target placed in the water before being rewarded with food by the aquarist in the tank," she said.

"Having the aquarist in the water interacting with the animals prepares and relaxes them for human interaction and now the big female shark actually enjoys it.

"She loves being flipped over while the aquarist scratches her underbelly.

"It has been a slow process over nearly a year to get the animals to the stage where they trust us enough to interact so closely with them."

Aquarists have also been training a younger leopard shark in a separate tank.