This week at the zoo I was lucky enough to go back to Africa for work. This time I worked with Ben in Africa, and I had an awesome week! I think because I know the routine in Africa so much better now, it's easier for me to jump in and help and get the work done efficiently. Plus, I just love the amount of animal contact I get in Africa.
I got to handle the entire tortoise exhibit by myself today! Although it's not really a big job, it's nice to know that I am now trusted enough to go into an animal exhibit and get all the work done. Plus, I always love to see my favorite tortoise, Bubba, and give him a little pat on the head. I also helped with training Kiko (the giraffe) today, which is the first time I've been able to actually participate in the training process! It was awesome to see how much progress Kiko has been making and it was so nice to be able to be a part of the process. Additionally, I got to feed the lions today (which is basically just dumping their food in their den, but still, cool!) and prepare the entire giraffe diet for the afternoon. I honestly loved being so independent and knowing what to do and how to do it.
An interesting thing I noticed today is that keepers each do things so differently. The same things get done, but the order and process are totally different, depending on the keeper! I think this is an interesting observation, and it makes me feel better about my work because I'm learning that there is no one right way to do things. The important thing is that the work gets done, and gets done well, and not how it was done.
On a final, exciting note, the keepers started to remember my name this week! I know this is kind of a trivial thing, but I was so happy to hear people calling me by name, because it means that they care enough to learn and remember it! I've been having a great time in this past month at the zoo, and I'm looking forward to the future!
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
1st Week at Primate Row
Today was my first time venturing away from Africa and working in a different area of the zoo, more specifically, Primate Row. There are three types of primates on primate row, colobus monkeys, black and white ruffed lemurs, and black headed spider monkeys. The colobus's are a family of 5, while there are 4 lemurs and 3 spider monkeys. It was interesting for me to venture out and begin caring for different types of animals and to see how they all differ from one another.
One major difference about taking care of the animals on primate row is that I needed to suit up before I began my cleaning for the day. By "suit up" I mean I had to wear boot covers, glasses, rubber gloves, and a face mask before I could enter an exhibit and clean. This is because humans and primates are so closely related that we can transmit diseases back and forth to one another. I had never considered this before, but after reading about infections that can be passed between humans and primates during my lunch break (required reading to work there), I was shocked to know how much we can transmit and how careful we have to be when working around primates.
While cleaning, I was definitely "on display" to the general public. I had so many people walk by me during my cleaning and stop and watch me clean or make jokes about how "I was a funny looking monkey" or how it was "the zookeeper exhibit." Some parents took the more informational approach and told their kids that "I was cleaning the monkeys room just like they cleaned their rooms." Either way, it was a strange and different experience, because all of my cleaning in Africa was done behind the scenes. One thing I will say is that if you think you have a clever comment about someone cleaning an exhibit, just remember that you're probably not the only one to say something that day!
Another thing that was different about today was that I didn't have as much animal contact. I did a lot of cleaning (as usual), but the animals weren't really around while I was cleaning their enclosures or dens. I did find the spider monkeys amusing though because they kept reaching through their fencing and trying to grab onto me whenever I walked by. They were so cute! The keeper I was working with today, Dindy, talked to me about how even though the primates are cute and small, they can bite, scratch, and really hurt you so it's always important to stay alert and never be in the enclosure with them.
After all my cleaning was finished in the morning, I started working with a bunch of the keepers on a different kind of project. We are currently rebuilding the colobus exhibit from scratch, so I got to help with that this afternoon! The keepers had already cut down trees and put them up in the exhibit, so today we were doing more finalizing things. We worked on hanging a net and rope in the exhibit to stimulate the monkeys and keep them entertained. I even got up on the ladder and nailed some of the netting into place! It's pretty cool that I can now say that I helped to build part of the new colobus monkey exhibit at the Greenville Zoo!
The keeper of primate row is also responsible for taking care of the animals in the education building. While I didn't get to do much with these animals today, I'm hoping to get more experience with them another week! I did get to help close up the building and give the primates their morning and afternoon meals! I also helped close the zoo today, meaning that we basically have to do a walk-through to make sure that no one else is in the zoo before we close.
At the end of the day I was filthy and tired, but I would definitely say it was another day well-spent. I've really been enjoying my time at the zoo and I feel incredibly lucky to have this opportunity to get such great experience during a college internship.
One major difference about taking care of the animals on primate row is that I needed to suit up before I began my cleaning for the day. By "suit up" I mean I had to wear boot covers, glasses, rubber gloves, and a face mask before I could enter an exhibit and clean. This is because humans and primates are so closely related that we can transmit diseases back and forth to one another. I had never considered this before, but after reading about infections that can be passed between humans and primates during my lunch break (required reading to work there), I was shocked to know how much we can transmit and how careful we have to be when working around primates.
While cleaning, I was definitely "on display" to the general public. I had so many people walk by me during my cleaning and stop and watch me clean or make jokes about how "I was a funny looking monkey" or how it was "the zookeeper exhibit." Some parents took the more informational approach and told their kids that "I was cleaning the monkeys room just like they cleaned their rooms." Either way, it was a strange and different experience, because all of my cleaning in Africa was done behind the scenes. One thing I will say is that if you think you have a clever comment about someone cleaning an exhibit, just remember that you're probably not the only one to say something that day!
Another thing that was different about today was that I didn't have as much animal contact. I did a lot of cleaning (as usual), but the animals weren't really around while I was cleaning their enclosures or dens. I did find the spider monkeys amusing though because they kept reaching through their fencing and trying to grab onto me whenever I walked by. They were so cute! The keeper I was working with today, Dindy, talked to me about how even though the primates are cute and small, they can bite, scratch, and really hurt you so it's always important to stay alert and never be in the enclosure with them.
After all my cleaning was finished in the morning, I started working with a bunch of the keepers on a different kind of project. We are currently rebuilding the colobus exhibit from scratch, so I got to help with that this afternoon! The keepers had already cut down trees and put them up in the exhibit, so today we were doing more finalizing things. We worked on hanging a net and rope in the exhibit to stimulate the monkeys and keep them entertained. I even got up on the ladder and nailed some of the netting into place! It's pretty cool that I can now say that I helped to build part of the new colobus monkey exhibit at the Greenville Zoo!
The keeper of primate row is also responsible for taking care of the animals in the education building. While I didn't get to do much with these animals today, I'm hoping to get more experience with them another week! I did get to help close up the building and give the primates their morning and afternoon meals! I also helped close the zoo today, meaning that we basically have to do a walk-through to make sure that no one else is in the zoo before we close.
At the end of the day I was filthy and tired, but I would definitely say it was another day well-spent. I've really been enjoying my time at the zoo and I feel incredibly lucky to have this opportunity to get such great experience during a college internship.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Week Two
After my first day at the zoo went so well, I was eager to get back this week and do more work and feel more comfortable around the animals, the people, and the job itself. When I checked in with the keepers in the morning, I found out I would be working with Jackie in Africa again. A lot of the tasks I did this week were the same as the previous week: cleaning the lions enclosure, cleaning giraffe barns, scooping poop, watching training sessions, etc., but I also got some more responsibility this week as well! I was given a radio to keep with me so that I could be left alone to do some of the cleaning. I also got to prepare the giraffes afternoon diets and allow full access to the giraffe in the barn after I finished cleaning (which basically means opening barn doors). I also got to sit in on some meetings this week regarding animal training with the orangutans.
It was awesome to be given some more responsibility and to know that I was gaining the trust of the keepers. I was really working hard this week on taking initiative on the job. I didn't want to wait to be told to do something, I asked if it needed to be done or just jumped in and started working without being told to do so. Now that I feel more comfortable at the zoo and with my job requirements, it was easier for me to figure out what things needed to be done and what I could help with.
Another awesome happening this week was that I got to see how much Kiko (the giraffe) improved on his training from last week! As I mentioned before, Kiko is being trained to stand still in an enclosed area so that blood can be drawn from him by vet techs. Last week the training was a long, and at times frustrating process because Kiko really didn't want to cooperate. This week's morning session was slightly better, but I could see that Kiko was rebelling in terms of not wanting to repeat the actions. However, the afternoon session was amazing! Kiko looked like a pro and he was doing things without even having to be told to do so. I was shocked to see how much progress he had made from last week, and even from that morning! It goes to show that repetition and positive reinforcement can go a long way in terms of animal training.
On a slightly unrelated note, the weather was perfect to work in, and it made a big difference in terms of my working conditions and animal behavior! For one thing, I was way less hot and sweaty while performing my cleaning since the high temperature was 73 and it was cloudy and misty all day. Secondly, I could tell that the animals loved the weather! It was really the first cooler day we've had in South Carolina, and the animals were soaking up every second of the cool weather. The lions, who usually sleep the majority of the day, were up and playing for several hours in the morning. They were even entertaining the guests watching them! The giraffes were way more cooperative about shifting in and out of the barn, and the tortoises were up and more active than the previous week.
Finally, I started to feel way more comfortable around the keepers, particularly Jackie, with whom I've been working with for the past two weeks. I had some conversations with them about family, past work experience, and their journey to the Greenville Zoo, which was really helpful to me to hear how other people have achieved their "dream job". It's crazy how everyone can take a different journey but still end up in the same place. I also learned that I will be rotating throughout the different sections of the zoo, which I am really excited about. I've loved working in Africa, but I'm excited by the prospect of getting to work with new animals and learning about a variety of species.
So, in case you couldn't tell, week 2 was another success! Being with these exotic animals all day and getting to learn so much from the keepers really makes the early morning grogginess and the 40 minute drive worth it. I'm so excited to return next week and see what new "tails" I have to share with you!
It was awesome to be given some more responsibility and to know that I was gaining the trust of the keepers. I was really working hard this week on taking initiative on the job. I didn't want to wait to be told to do something, I asked if it needed to be done or just jumped in and started working without being told to do so. Now that I feel more comfortable at the zoo and with my job requirements, it was easier for me to figure out what things needed to be done and what I could help with.
Another awesome happening this week was that I got to see how much Kiko (the giraffe) improved on his training from last week! As I mentioned before, Kiko is being trained to stand still in an enclosed area so that blood can be drawn from him by vet techs. Last week the training was a long, and at times frustrating process because Kiko really didn't want to cooperate. This week's morning session was slightly better, but I could see that Kiko was rebelling in terms of not wanting to repeat the actions. However, the afternoon session was amazing! Kiko looked like a pro and he was doing things without even having to be told to do so. I was shocked to see how much progress he had made from last week, and even from that morning! It goes to show that repetition and positive reinforcement can go a long way in terms of animal training.
On a slightly unrelated note, the weather was perfect to work in, and it made a big difference in terms of my working conditions and animal behavior! For one thing, I was way less hot and sweaty while performing my cleaning since the high temperature was 73 and it was cloudy and misty all day. Secondly, I could tell that the animals loved the weather! It was really the first cooler day we've had in South Carolina, and the animals were soaking up every second of the cool weather. The lions, who usually sleep the majority of the day, were up and playing for several hours in the morning. They were even entertaining the guests watching them! The giraffes were way more cooperative about shifting in and out of the barn, and the tortoises were up and more active than the previous week.
Finally, I started to feel way more comfortable around the keepers, particularly Jackie, with whom I've been working with for the past two weeks. I had some conversations with them about family, past work experience, and their journey to the Greenville Zoo, which was really helpful to me to hear how other people have achieved their "dream job". It's crazy how everyone can take a different journey but still end up in the same place. I also learned that I will be rotating throughout the different sections of the zoo, which I am really excited about. I've loved working in Africa, but I'm excited by the prospect of getting to work with new animals and learning about a variety of species.
So, in case you couldn't tell, week 2 was another success! Being with these exotic animals all day and getting to learn so much from the keepers really makes the early morning grogginess and the 40 minute drive worth it. I'm so excited to return next week and see what new "tails" I have to share with you!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
First Day on the Job
I showed up at the Greenville Zoo bright and early Sunday morning. I was a little uneasy, as I had no idea where I was supposed to meet the keepers, what exactly my day would entail, or what kinds of jobs I would be doing. Luckily, my uneasiness was soon put to rest as I met one of the keepers right away, who then introduced me to the general curator. I followed the general curator into the keeper room, where I was introduced to the rest of the keepers and thrown right into the day's work. It was determined that I would be helping out in Africa for the day - which delighted me to no end. I'd never been to the zoo before, but I figured that the animals they had in Africa had to be at least somewhat exciting! My prediction was correct, as I shortly learned that working in Africa for the day meant helping with the tortoises, vultures, giraffes, and lions! Not only 30 minutes into my day and I was already beyond thrilled.
I worked in Africa with Jackie, one of the keepers at the zoo. Our day began by paying the tortoises a visit. We cleaned their enclosure, made sure they had plenty of water for the day, and even pet the male tortoise on the head for a while (he's very friendly and likes attention!). Then, we headed over to the lions' enclosure. I actually had a tingle run down my spine when I walked up and realized I was right next to an actual lion! I've never been that close to a big cat in my entire life. I cleaned the glass in their exhibit and then learned how to refill their water pool. Then, it was time to pay the giraffes a visit and clean their exhibit. Fun fact: giraffes poop a lot! I cleaned up the whole area (which took a decent amount of time) and made sure it was ready for the giraffes for the day.
Finally, it was time to actually let the animals into their exhibits for the day! Watching the lions enter their exhibit was so exciting. Chuma, one of the lion brothers was a little reluctant to enter the exhibit at first, so we had to coax him out. During our "coaxing" Chuma had apparently had enough of us as he looked right at me and let out a huge "ROAR" literally inches away from my face. I actually jumped when he roared, it scared the living daylights out of me! It just goes to show that these animals all have unique personalities and characteristics that make them just as individual as you and me!
It was then time to let the giraffes out into their exhibit. The giraffes are a family, Walter and Autumn are the parents to two year old Kiko. Right now, the giraffes are being displayed separately, so Walter and Kiko go out together in the morning and Autumn goes out in the afternoon. Kiko is so precious because he's so full of energy and excited about the littlest things. I could actually see him light up when we walked inside in the morning!
Next, we headed over to the vulture exhibit. The vultures are three girls who are very energetic and playful. We cleaned their exhibit while they were in there and gave them their food for the day, which was entertaining because they kept hopping away from us!
The rest of the day consisted of a lot of cleaning. I cleaned the entire lions enclosure by myself and one of the giraffe stalls! I was really nervous about doing this because Jackie explained to me that a lot of keepers are really particular about the way their cleaning is done, so I wanted to make sure I did a really good job and it was something she would not only approve of, but be impressed by! I also was lucky enough to observe a training session in the afternoon with Kiko, the baby giraffe. He is getting trained to stay still so that veterinarians can draw blood from him. It's definitely a long and at times frustrating process, but I could already see Kiko improving by the end of his session!
Jackie was also nice enough to give me a brief tour of the zoo during the day. I got to see orangutans, lemurs, the reptile building, leopards, red pandas, ocelots, and so many more beautiful and amazing animals.
Finally, at the end of the day I got to help prepare the diets for the animals at night. It's interesting to see what the different animals get fed, and which animal gets what kind of food. Even the diets are so unique to every individual - it's refreshing to see the amount of care and attention that goes into making sure every animal has what it needs, and more! I even got to feed Walter a post-dinner snack of kale right from my hands!
My first day at the zoo was beyond incredible. It was 8 hours of hard, manual labor (I came out with scratches, bug bites, and pouring sweat), but the fact that I was exposed to so much animal interaction in just one day was completely amazing. I am already so thankful to the Greenville Zoo for such an awesome experience, and I can't wait to see what the future holds with this internship. I'm excited to get to know the other animals of the zoo, to learn the ins and outs of animal care and training, and to grow as both a person and a conservation biology major.
Please continue to follow me on my journey through my zoo internship! This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'm so excited to share all my "tails" with you!
Finally, it was time to actually let the animals into their exhibits for the day! Watching the lions enter their exhibit was so exciting. Chuma, one of the lion brothers was a little reluctant to enter the exhibit at first, so we had to coax him out. During our "coaxing" Chuma had apparently had enough of us as he looked right at me and let out a huge "ROAR" literally inches away from my face. I actually jumped when he roared, it scared the living daylights out of me! It just goes to show that these animals all have unique personalities and characteristics that make them just as individual as you and me!
It was then time to let the giraffes out into their exhibit. The giraffes are a family, Walter and Autumn are the parents to two year old Kiko. Right now, the giraffes are being displayed separately, so Walter and Kiko go out together in the morning and Autumn goes out in the afternoon. Kiko is so precious because he's so full of energy and excited about the littlest things. I could actually see him light up when we walked inside in the morning!
Next, we headed over to the vulture exhibit. The vultures are three girls who are very energetic and playful. We cleaned their exhibit while they were in there and gave them their food for the day, which was entertaining because they kept hopping away from us!
The rest of the day consisted of a lot of cleaning. I cleaned the entire lions enclosure by myself and one of the giraffe stalls! I was really nervous about doing this because Jackie explained to me that a lot of keepers are really particular about the way their cleaning is done, so I wanted to make sure I did a really good job and it was something she would not only approve of, but be impressed by! I also was lucky enough to observe a training session in the afternoon with Kiko, the baby giraffe. He is getting trained to stay still so that veterinarians can draw blood from him. It's definitely a long and at times frustrating process, but I could already see Kiko improving by the end of his session!
Jackie was also nice enough to give me a brief tour of the zoo during the day. I got to see orangutans, lemurs, the reptile building, leopards, red pandas, ocelots, and so many more beautiful and amazing animals.
Finally, at the end of the day I got to help prepare the diets for the animals at night. It's interesting to see what the different animals get fed, and which animal gets what kind of food. Even the diets are so unique to every individual - it's refreshing to see the amount of care and attention that goes into making sure every animal has what it needs, and more! I even got to feed Walter a post-dinner snack of kale right from my hands!
My first day at the zoo was beyond incredible. It was 8 hours of hard, manual labor (I came out with scratches, bug bites, and pouring sweat), but the fact that I was exposed to so much animal interaction in just one day was completely amazing. I am already so thankful to the Greenville Zoo for such an awesome experience, and I can't wait to see what the future holds with this internship. I'm excited to get to know the other animals of the zoo, to learn the ins and outs of animal care and training, and to grow as both a person and a conservation biology major.
Please continue to follow me on my journey through my zoo internship! This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'm so excited to share all my "tails" with you!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Welcome
Hi everyone, and welcome to my blog - "Tails" of a Zoo Intern! My name is Megan and I am a current junior at Clemson University in South Carolina. I was fortunate enough to be chosen as the Greenville Zoo's Animal Department Intern for the Fall of 2014, and I decided that I wanted to share my experience with all of you.
For those of you who know me, you may be familiar with my other blog Megan's Disney Dream (shameless self-promotion, I know). I loved my blogging experience during my Disney College Program last semester so I am continuing the blogging trend and writing a blog for my animal department internship this semester! I'm doing this for two reasons: 1 - I am a person who loves to do research, and I had such a hard time finding zoo intern blogs online, so I'm hoping to spread the word about zoo internships through this blog, and 2 - so that I can remember this incredible experience and hopefully share some stories with family and friends along the way! I'm also hoping to shed some light on zoos and all of the care and hard work that goes into operating and maintaining an AZA accredited facility.
So please, sit back, relax, and join me on this incredible journey through the life of a zoo intern. Our adventure awaits!
For those of you who know me, you may be familiar with my other blog Megan's Disney Dream (shameless self-promotion, I know). I loved my blogging experience during my Disney College Program last semester so I am continuing the blogging trend and writing a blog for my animal department internship this semester! I'm doing this for two reasons: 1 - I am a person who loves to do research, and I had such a hard time finding zoo intern blogs online, so I'm hoping to spread the word about zoo internships through this blog, and 2 - so that I can remember this incredible experience and hopefully share some stories with family and friends along the way! I'm also hoping to shed some light on zoos and all of the care and hard work that goes into operating and maintaining an AZA accredited facility.
So please, sit back, relax, and join me on this incredible journey through the life of a zoo intern. Our adventure awaits!
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