National Zookeeper Week is ending. Zookeeping is definitely where I got my start and is still a big part of who I am. Zookeeping has taught me to strive to do the best I can for the animals in my care. The message is very clear. Animal welfare and conservation education are very important. Throughout the years in whatever way I was contributing I found I could help make a difference. Zookeeping has taught me to respect and revere animals. Although we may have great relationships with the animals, they are not our companion animals and they are serving a different purpose as animal ambassadors. Zookeeping has taught me the importance of observing animals and trying to gather as much information as I can from watching their body language. (One of my favorite places to visit at a zoo is a walk-through aviary on a quiet day.) I try to relate what I see to the natural history of the species. And if I don’t know what that is, I ask or do some research to find out. Zookeeping has also taught me to take safety seriously. I respect yellow lines! Always look around before I take a step back or touch anything. And I check the locks! Zookeeping has fostered a deep sense of responsibility and ethic when it comes to conservation. One of the greatest rewards for zoo professionals I find is being able to contribute to conservation of species in the wild. I can say my most rewarding experiences have been being able to provide my expertise to support conservation projects. Here are a few photos from working on conservation projects. My zookeeping career evolved into an even more specialized profession that involves working alongside zookeepers. I think my experience as a zookeeper is one of my greatest assets to my current role as animal training consultant. I’m no stranger to the experiences of the people who are seeking my assistance. There are many more lessons I learned of course. The point is zookeepers are much more than animal lovers or people who clean up after animals. It is a highly specialized profession; some might describe as a calling. As the saying goes…find a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life. #nationalzookeeperweek #NZKW2020 #NZKW https://www.instagram.com/p/CDEpM6TFMvC/?igshid=1h3b5517p6qh4

It’s National Zookeeper Week! Training birds in free flight conservation education programs was a part of my job from my first place of employment. I transferred from the education department to the bird show. At my first bird show and the one pictured here we had many opportunities to be creative and build our own unique presentations. It’s on those stages where I learned the ropes when it came to public speaking and multi tasking. Training and talking at the same time takes practice. I definitely wasn’t very good at first. It was a tip from an acting class that helped me learn to be more “natural” on stage and get away from my scripted performance. What is the tip? “Anything that happens on stage is OK.” In other words... you don’t have to be perfect. That experience also helps as a consultant and public speaker to this day. Photos from the once upon a time magical place called Disney’s Discovery Island. #nationalzookeeperweek #nzkw #nzkw2020 #imakeeper #chicken #screechowl #scarletmacaw #moustachedparakeet #disneysdiscoveryisland https://www.instagram.com/p/CDBxB5tFXDq/?igshid=17j24unqtmlow

It’s National Zookeeper Week! Zookeeping jobs can be hard to get. Most take a 4 year degree and prior animal care experience. There is usually a lot of competition for positions. It’s likely a move to a new city or state is required. And it still is not the most lucrative field financially. But it is certainly fulfilling in other ways. As stated in an earlier post I did get a degree in zoology. I started working in a veterinary clinic at 16. I worked in another during college. I also gained experience working with horses, wildlife rehab, primates, chickens, lizards, salamanders, song sparrows and even a pet store during college. They all helped me land the first zoo job. The experience gained at the first helped me secure my second position. This meant moving across the country where I got to meet this baby rhino and this tapir. More tomorrow. #nationalzookeeperweek #nzkw #nzkw2020 #imakeeper #rhino #tapir https://www.instagram.com/p/CC_PCS5lKcR/?igshid=kbz504ys6uwh

It’s National Zookeeper Week! One of my first zoo jobs was working with animals in education programs. My job was to do daily cleaning and feeding. And my favorite part.... training! They needed to be comfortable with handling, transport and groups of people. Pictured here are Hoppy the ferret, a chinchilla and a tiger salamander. We also had a California ground squirrel that would climb up onto your shoulder and promptly pee. Opossums, chickens, tarantulas, walking sticks, hedgehogs, snakes, tortoises, skinks, iguanas and an Amazon parrot named Liberty rounded out the collection. As they say if I knew then what I know now.... oh the things I would have done! I imagine so many more behaviors I would have trained as we had many great candidates. In my consulting work today, we get super creative with animal ambassador training ideas. Education departments have really developed over the years. Many have incredible collections of trained animal ambassadors with highly skilled and educated team members on board. The curriculum is engaging and also meets specific requirements and standards for learning. It’s a good time to be a keeper for the education department. # nationalzookeeperweek #nzkw #nzkw2020 # #imakeeper #educationanimals #ambassadoranimals #tigersalamander #chinchilla #ferret https://www.instagram.com/p/CC8s7Wjlcnk/?igshid=l217irbyf1e9

It’s National Zookeeper Week! I was very lucky with my first zoo job. I worked at a place that was incredibly focused on training. And because of that I found my calling. I also was given unique experiences with many animals who were trained for conservation education programming. It was a regular thing to see a lion on a walk around the park before opening, a troop of chimps playing on the hill with their trainers (yes a troop) or two baboons running through the park to go play on a custom made bamboo jungle gym just for them. I remember going to use an employee bathroom to be greeted by a young chimp reaching up for a gentle hug. I was very young myself and new to the field. We are less likely to see those kinds of experiences now for a variety of reasons. However I do recall the animals being well cared for, so much emphasis on conservation messaging and of course the training with positive reinforcement. It stood out. Later on when I encountered heavy handed techniques at another place, my radar popped up, even though I did not yet have the words or maturity to speak out. More tomorrow! #nationalzookeeperweek #nzkw #nzkw2020 #mountainlion #puma #cougar https://www.instagram.com/p/CC6F_Ktl3O3/?igshid=d3403ahbipag

Hey it’s National Zookeeper Week! And although I am most known for animal training consulting these days, zookeeping is where it all started for me! My degree is in zoology and after college (and working a variety of animal related jobs throughout high school and college) I landed my first official zoo job. Like many zoo professionals I made very little money, worked a second job as a bartender 2 nights a week, was willing to commute 45 miles one way just for the privilege to do things like this!! Stay tuned for more photos from the early days throughout the week. #nationalzookeeperweek #NZKW https://www.instagram.com/p/CC4Ckj_lyOz/?igshid=a05jrd2p3yyr

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