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!