And already I saw a familiar face: the gal who brought in the cake was none other than Amy, whom I met, coincidentally, at my first Visit-A-Job years ago at the Zoo’s Bird Department. She may now be in a different department, but she still retains that bright smile. The second minute on the job and I already had a long-lost friend!

I immediately noticed the friendly cohesiveness of the staff. Don Sterner, animal care manager, runs a happy office, and it shows. After introductions and briefings, it was decided to place me with Fatima first, so I wouldn’t have to change my clothes. Fatima is a California condor keeper. What we had to go through with sanitary hygienic precautions to assure a sterile, aseptic environment surprised me. Had I started out in a different bird area, called a “string,” I would have had to go even further and actually change into different clothing. “You’re lucky, Drew,” whispered Fatima. “Many people do not get an opportunity to visit the condor area.”

Because there were no chicks, only incubating eggs and copulating condor couples, I was allowed into the successive trailers. In one, Fatima placed a brand-new, just-arrived, fake-condor puppet-glove over my hand and showed me a gnarly, used one. (Here’s a video and more information about the 10th-grade student who made and donated the condor puppet.) We had to be super quiet around the holding pens as we snuck peeks through secret flaps on hidden windows. We could observe the condors on the computer as well, with the aid of conveniently placed cameras spaced around the compound. I was impressed.

My next assignment was to help out Sheila in “The Field.” She was almost as excited as I was! She used to work this string a year ago and missed “her babies.” Now, Sheila works up at condors, but on this day, she was substituting for another keeper. We counted and fed storks and pelicans, always vigilant of a stray gazelle that could stab with sharp horns as we leaned over to grab a food tray. Mammal keepers feed the ostriches, but they strutted over to us anyway.

Going in and out of the field was a scene right out of Jurassic Park. One door would open, we’d drive into a mini holding area, and the door behind us would close. Then the door in front of us would magically open, and we’d be amid chilled-out rhinos and giant, carrot-seeking giraffe heads. In fact, the makers of the Jurassic Park film came to the Wild Animal Park, it turns out, and copied the idea for their movie.

When lunchtime rolled around, the entire team dined together harmoniously in the break area. I wondered if my department would all eat together as a team if our scattered scheduling actually allowed for it.

From the lunch table, I jolted with Janessa to the “BBC.” I can’t remember what she said BBC stood for (moderator’s note: Bird Breeding Complex. Read the blog, BBC: Clapper Rail Chicks), but I call it “Back Behind the Canyon!” It took us a good 20 minutes to drive to it through miles of dirt back roads that I never knew existed. We ended up in a huge behind-the-scenes holding facility for large (smelly) birds. I never thought I’d use the words “adorable” and “vulture” in the same sentence, but the carrion-consuming cherubs I saw were just that. The charming chicks followed us around, flapping their fuzzy proto-wings, hoarsely calling out to me and their keeper-friend. Janessa showed me how close the October 2007 fire storms got to the pens (see blog, Fire Update from the Wild Animal Park), in some cases burning the plywood surrounding them or melting the plastic water tubing pipes. It was near the inferno detritus that I encountered secretary birds (pictured at top). Working with these lanky, feisty creatures was the closest I’ll ever come to working with velociraptors! These “dinosaurs” clucked and squawked loudly as they raced around their enclosure in unison. It made me realize that birds really ARE modern-day dinosaurs, and one was about to charge me!

My next assignment was to shadow Amy, who takes care of the birds in the Hidden Jungle aviary. Quetzals swiftly swooped by and manakins hovered colorfully near the misting system. Butterflies fluttered by, landing on guests’ heads and shoulders. I couldn’t think of a more beautiful work environment!

Heidi, a keeper in the Heart of Africa (HOA), then picked me up and carted us both to the HOA for a late feeding of rambunctious hornbills and even more reptile-like secretary birds.

The day was over before I knew it. Bottom line: my Visit-A-Job with Park birds and their keepers was a flight of fancy. I thank Don and his spirited flock for an amazing opportunity, and I thank the Zoological Society of San Diego for offering this employee-friendly program, which fosters pleasant morale and altruism between departments.

Drew Searing is a tour guide at the San Diego Zoo.

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This binational collaboration means there is plenty of news happening on both sides of the international border, and that’s why we’re bringing you a one-stop shop for condor news. Visit www.cacondorconservation.org to find out what is happening in the world of the California condor, from The Peregrine Fund’s World Center of Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, south to the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City and everywhere in between, including the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park! There is also a link to condor blogs under “Podcasts and Blogs” on the gold bar on the right side of this page.

The Web site is packed with news, photos, video, and personal accounts from the conservationists themselves. There is a fantastic story, for example, from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist who climbed into this year’s first wild condor nest to check on an egg, only to find himself being pushed around by the protective mother-to-be. Video packages take you behind-the-scenes at various locations so that you can experience what it’s like to be a condor expert.

You’ll find bios not only on some of the condor team members but also on the birds themselves. A map will show you where in the world the California condors can be found and you can even report your condor sightings. Best of all, you can ask questions directly of the people who know condors best! Come join the team and post your comments at www.cacondorconservation.org.

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The duty list for the hospital at the San Diego Zoo that day was quite impressive. The reason: there would be four vets working hospital cases (checking patients that are coming to the hospital) and one vet working grounds cases (checking patients that are on Zoo grounds). As hospital keepers, we were ready for a busy day.

First, we had to bring in the flamingo that had a heart murmur. As a hospital keeper held him for a vet check, the koala arrived for his annual exam and radiographs. That’s when we received the call that lioness Mweezi was on her way to the hospital for her annual physical, already darted and asleep, and help would be needed to lift her out of the van and onto the examination table. Once the lioness was stable and on the table, we saw the reptile keeper go in the room with the Gaboon viper (only reptile keepers handle the venomous reptiles). Then another vet needed help getting the fossa out of the crate and anesthetizing it for its exam. All this going on and it wasn’t even 10 a.m. yet!

Once all the examination tables were full and the vets were working with their cases, we were able to continue with the patients that are temporarily housed at the hospital. The hornbill needed its medication, the bowsprit tortoises needed to be separated to receive their medication, the fishing cat in quarantine needed a fecal sample to be collected, and I had to find the right radio station for the fig parrot in the bird quarantine room (he likes his music).

Every once in awhile we check in with the vets to see if they need us at that moment or find out when they’ll need us. The lioness was going to need to be turned over shortly and the fossa’s footpads were so cute a paw print was wanted. One thing we are is versatile, and variety makes the job much more enjoyable!

So next time I respond that my day was “oh, the usual,” you might want to get the details!

Yvette Kemp is a senior hospital keeper at the San Diego Zoo

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It could have been devastating. Hillsides along the outskirts of the Wild Animal Park, where visitors don’t go, burned everything from shrubs to cactus, stopping in most cases just short of animal housing, in some instances because of the heroic work of our dedicated staff and other times it may have been sheer luck. The fire was sweeping downhill quickly, making its way towards areas housing endangered species such as dholes (wild dogs), cheetahs, and a variety of birds such as clapper rails and hornbills. Using hoses and any other resources available, our animal care staff tried to keep the dholes safe as the fire closed in. Two members of the garage team drove past in a water truck; they stopped immediately to help. They drove circles around the enclosure pouring water into the dholes’ housing, hoping to saturate it with enough water to reduce the impact of the fire. The team stopped only when the fire was unsafely close. Miraculously, the fire pushed past the dhole and cheetah enclosures, burning only the vegetation and dirt paths between the two areas while leaving the animals untouched.

As the fire moved past the dholes, it crept up to the off-exhibit bird compound. Some of these critically endangered species had been evacuated to a safe zone at the Park (the Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center), but others stayed behind. The loss would have been disastrous. The fire burned right up against the Bird Breeding Complex, causing damage to one evacuated aviary. But the rest of the complex was left untouched. The fire continued on the west, sidestepping the hub of the Park and moving alongside the outlying areas. If you visit the Park, you will see burned hillsides resting against the Park’s large field enclosures. But the animal enclosures housing rhinos, giraffes, antelope, birds, and others are still green. Irrigated and clear of heavy vegetation, it was the safest place for these animals.

As the fires approached, most animals headed to the other end of their enclosures and simply watched. They didn’t seem to panic, say keepers. In fact, some animals simply stayed where they were and merely glanced in the fire’s direction. Unfortunately, we did lose two of the Park’s 3,500 animals as of Wednesday, October 24: a kiang (wild ass) and a clapper rail. They were not burned but likely were stressed by the fire. We did everything we could to keep them safe. Both animals are a significant loss to the Park, but the actions of our staff and firefighters saved thousands of other lives.

When the fire threatened the Park’s Conifer Forest, firefighters came to our side, stopping it before it could do any critical damage. Had they not, this story may have had a very different ending. We didn’t come out of this completely unscathed. We lost one of the California condor breeding facilities, but once again no animals were lost. The California condors had also been moved to the Park’s safe-zone. We lost Festival of Lights fixtures and decorations, but these are material items that can be replaced. The vegetation will come back and the buildings rebuilt. So I breathed a heavy sigh of relief seeing that the 600 acres that burned on the Park grounds will not change the heart of the Park: the animals and our staff.

It amazes me hearing the stories of the Park’s employees. So many of them did not know if their homes were still standing. Their homes were directly in the path of the fire, many had been evacuated themselves, and still they stayed for hours fighting to keep the animals safe. They stayed until they were asked to leave when the fires threatened the Park and returned as soon as it was safe. There was no hesitation on anyone’s part and that’s what made the Park lucky!

Even San Diego Zoo staff was at the Park helping in whatever way possible. As I walked through the Park I ran across one of our CRES researchers cleaning chairs. Everyone was working as a team, even if meant doing a job that is completely out of their field. Sigh. This is truly a wonderful and dedicated family. I am proud to be on this team.

As for the animals, it was life as usual for most of them Wednesday. The animals in the fields grazed, slept, pranced, and simply lived. The last of the animals evacuated to the safe zone moved back to their homes Wednesday and so the Park is returning to normal, just a little charred but safe.

Thank you to the dedicated Park and Zoo staff for all you do, as well as the emergency services units that assisted us during this crisis. Thank you all for your support!

Yadira Galindo is a public relations representative for the Zoological Society of San Diego.

For more fire updates…

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Now before all of you loyal panda fans get distressed, be assured that this is being done with the well-being of the animals uppermost in everyone’s mind. Bus speakers and passengers will observe a quiet zone past the exhibit area. Drivers have been doing practice runs to acclimate Su Lin and Mei Sheng to the sound of the buses passing, and on this, the first day of the route, I observed “bearly” a cocked ear or upward glance as the buses passed in the morning. Su Lin showed some concern about the arborists doing some final trimming in the canyon, but that was finished quickly and she settled down to a hearty snack. If this is any indication, in a very short time the passing buses will be part of the pandas’ normal auditory environment, of no more notice than the planes landing and taking off at the nearby airport - beginning softly, gradually getting louder, then fading away.

For now, the viewing area is not being directly impacted on most days, but to allow the buses to pass when the viewing area is full, guests may be asked to wait along the panda mural wall where the sidewalk is wider and safer. Our visitor assistance officers will be there to direct and assist visitors — we’re still a work in progress, after all.

The new route will show bus riders where the panda exhibit is located, then gives them a glimpse “behind the scenes” of the working heart of the Zoo! There’s more to a zoo than animals and plants, and our tour guides are ready to offer some insights as to what it takes to keep things humming - and lit, and fed, and operating. If you’re fortunate enough to be visiting the Zoo, I suggest that you take the new bus tour for an interesting perspective on the Zoo you thought you knew!

Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.

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The Transportation Department will roll out about 70 tours on a busy day, compared to about 25 in the off season. You’ve seen them: they’re those big double-decked busses that drive all over the Zoo. As guides, we act as Zoo ambassadors in many ways since scores of guests will embark on a tour when they first arrive at the Zoo. Our job is to help our guests not feel so overwhelmed. The Zoo’s 100 acres and nearly 4,000 animals can seem quite intimidating for those who may be visiting for the very first time. We cruise around the Zoo attempting to make it seem more manageable.

But what I love most is seeing the people smile when they learn something new about their favorite animals. It is our privilege to educate our visitors by telling them all sorts of fun facts about the animals. Like, did you know that a zebra really has black skin and white stripes? Or that our keepers remove five heaping wheelbarrows full of elephant poop each day? We love bringing our guests closer to the animals. It’s what we do!

People often say that Transportation Department employees act as the eyes and ears of the San Diego Zoo. We see these plants and animals every day and it’s our job to teach people that this world is our home, a dynamic and beautiful planet that we share with wonderful creatures, not always cute and cuddly, but a place that is worth preserving. And it is all of our hopes that once you take a tour with us, you’ll share in our passion and delight.

Adam Segal is a bus operator/guide at the San Diego Zoo.

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Then as I walk along Tiger River, I pass by Baby the fishing cat, who is usually waiting in her bedroom for her breakfast, and Rose the Malayan tapir, who is asleep in her room but perks up her ears when I say hello. My final morning check goes to our two female Malayan tigers: Danai, who is in the tiger bedrooms, and Mek, who has spent the night out on exhibit. Once I know that all of the animals under my care look good and are where they should be, I go into the office to plan my day. I check the “redbook” to see if there are any animal procedures (vaccinations, trips to the hospital, etc.), behind-the-scenes tours, meetings, or special projects scheduled for the day. Once I have an idea of how my day will look, I am ready to get started.

First, I prepare medication for Rose, who has some dental problems. Her antibiotic capsules are hidden into banana pieces (her favorite treat). She comes right over to the door of her bedroom and takes her goodies eagerly. Next, it’s time to get her exhibit ready for her. I drain, clean, and refill her two pools, turn on the waterfall, rake up leaves and leftover browse, and check to make sure she ate all of her herbivore pellets from the day before. I also check all of the plants surrounding the exhibit and water them if needed, or talk to our gardener, Oscar, if anything doesn’t look right or needs special attention. I check the wall surrounding the back of the exhibit for any cracks and make sure the glass at the front viewing is in good shape. I’ll then hose down the rockwork and walkway and clean out her automatic drinker. Once the exhibit looks good, it’s time to set out Rose’s breakfast of ficus browse, herbivore pellets, yams, carrots, and apples. Then I’ll put out some enrichment on exhibit, something different every day, to make things interesting for her. Today I’ll put some of her herbivore pellets into a heavy-duty plastic Boomer ball with small holes cut into it. Rose will have to push the ball around her exhibit to get the pellets to fall out so she can eat them. This usually keeps her busy for awhile!

When it’s time to go out, I’ll turn on the hotwire around the glass viewing area, lock the keeper door, and then open Rose’s bedroom door into the chute. This is an area where Rose will sit or lay down to get brushed. She really seems to enjoy this part of the morning! This is also a great way for me to check her whole body for any cuts or scrapes, lumps or bumps, or anything else that doesn’t look right. We have also been able to do ultrasounds in the chute when she was pregnant and take X rays of her teeth. As long as we don’t stop brushing her, she’ll let us do just about anything! Once the brushing is done and everything looks okay, Rose goes out onto the exhibit for the day.

As I walk up the trail to the fishing cat bedrooms, I watch Rose eating her breakfast and note what her interaction is with the enrichment that I offered for the day. If she doesn’t respond to the enrichment or if it is too difficult or even stressful for her, this is noted in the enrichment notebook. I’ll also write down if it is something she really responds well to (which is what we hope for!) so we know that this is something to offer again.

When I get to the fishing cat bedrooms, I’ll close access doors to the exhibit so Baby is locked into her bedrooms while she eats her breakfast and I clean her exhibit. She quickly eats her diet of ground beef, mouse, and trout while I check the hotwire and exterior fence line, rake up leaves, clean her litter box cave, pick up any enrichment from the day before, clean her drinker, and check the pool and waterfall. The pool has a filter system, so I only need to drain and clean it every other week. Next, I’ll set out the enrichment for today, which is a portion of her breakfast hidden in a wooden feeder box with holes that she has to stick her paws in to bat the food over to another hole to then pull out. When I open up the shift door from her bedroom, she runs out and jumps into a transfer crate before going outside. She does this every day, so she is very accustomed to the crate. Twice a month I will weigh her in her crate to make sure that she is in her target weight range of 8 to 9 kilograms (18 to 20 pounds), and once a year she will go to the hospital in her crate for vaccinations. But today I let her right out, and she runs directly to her feeder box and works to get her food out.

Next I’m off to see Dottie and Tevi, the clouded leopards. The girls separate from their exhibit into two transfer tunnels to eat their breakfast of ground beef, so I am able to make sure that they each get their fair share of food. Each diet is weighed out by the gram, so it is important that Dottie doesn’t try to take Tevi’s amount, which she will do if she has the opportunity. Both girls have the tendency to gain weight very easily, so I weigh them both weekly to make sure they stay in the range of 13 to 14 kilograms (29 to 31 pounds). While they’re eating, I prepare their exhibit the same as I did with the fishing cat. The pool for the “cloudies” doesn’t have a filter, so it needs to be cleaned every day. Today’s enrichment is perfume sprayed on branches in the exhibit. Dottie is in heaven! She rubs and rolls in it, drools a little, and opens her mouth to show her big canine teeth – I swear it looks like she’s smiling! Tevi, on the other hand, isn’t interested in the least. That’s the way it goes sometimes!

It’s just after 8 a.m. now, so I head back down the trail to take care of the tigers. Danai has had access to four bedrooms overnight, and since we never go into the same space as the tigers, I close and lock one of the bedrooms that she’s not in, put in her breakfast of ground beef, then shift her into that room. While she eats, I shift Mek into the transfer tunnel from the exhibit, then walk her down to the bedroom that I have placed her breakfast in. Tigers are solitary animals in the wild, so we won’t house two tigers together unless they are cubs with their mom, adolescent siblings, or a male and female for breeding. Danai and Mek really don’t like each other, so we don’t even put them in bedrooms that are next to each other, because they will try to fight through closed doors. So, with Mek at one end of the tiger bedroom building and Danai at the other, I go into the tiger exhibit to clean up, wash windows, check fence lines and pools, water plants, and set up enrichment. Now it’s Danai’s turn to go out on exhibit. On her way out, she travels through the squeeze chute or “hugger” used for training sessions. Like the fishing cat and her crate, the tigers go through this hugger every day and are comfortable with it. On exhibit, Danai finds a new “toy” – a hanging bungee with a ball attached to the end for her to pull on. Since she has never seen it before and doesn’t quite know what to do with it, I had placed some meat from her diet on top of the ball to entice her. It takes her awhile, but she finally pulls on the ball to get the meat down. Success!

Now it is 9 a.m. and the Zoo is open to the public. This is when I do a lot of behind-the-scenes work such as preparing diets for tomorrow and cleaning up everyone’s bedrooms to come into at night. This takes quite awhile, as it involves chopping fruits and veggies, weighing out meat diets, cleaning up old enrichment items (shredded phone books, cardboard boxes, paper bags, etc.), hosing and scrubbing bedroom floors, walls, and benches, and setting up new enrichment items in each bedroom so the animals have something fun for them when they come inside at night.

When that work is done, it’s time for training sessions. This is one of the best times of the day! First, I roll several pans of meatballs to use as rewards for all of the cats. Since Mek is inside the tiger bedrooms today, I’ll start with her. We will usually go over her behaviors that she already knows: lie down, sit, stand on hind legs, touch her nose to a target, open her mouth, jump to her bench, and go from point A to point B. We’ll also work on some new behaviors that she is still learning. Then I’ll move her into the hugger for behaviors that allow me to safely touch her. There we go over mock hand injections in her hip for vaccinations, blood draws from a vein in her tail, and a new behavior: training for an ultrasound of her abdomen. We are working on this behavior in hopes of detecting a future pregnancy when we eventually bring in a male tiger to breed with her. When Mek’s session is done and she has eaten all of her meatball rewards, she will go back into her bedrooms and it’s Danai’s turn. She will come off exhibit briefly to work in the hugger. The session usually lasts only five minutes, and then she’s back out to the exhibit to finish her training. I’ll walk down to the back wall of the exhibit where I’ll ask her to do some behaviors for visitors to watch.

Baby the fishing cat is next in line for training at the back fence of her exhibit. She is new to training, so we are still working on touching her nose to a target and remaining calm. She has a tendency to hiss and swat (that’s just her personality!), so most of the time I’ll just reward her for “nice” behavior. Once she understands that, we’ll move on to some of the behaviors that the tigers know.

Dottie and Tevi are next, and they will usually wake up for a training session midday. They are very active at night and sleep most of the day, and today Dottie wakes up for a treat, but Tevi isn’t in the mood. That’s okay, it’s her choice to participate or not. Dottie, however, shifts into her transfer tunnel and touches her nose to a target, opens her mouth, and stands on her hind feet so I can look at her belly. Today we work on “hold,” which is a cue for her to continue doing her behavior until I “release” her. I ask her to open her mouth, then I say “hold,” and when I blow a dog whistle, that communicates to her that she can close her mouth and receive a meatball reward. I start slow, and only ask her to hold for a second. As she starts to understand the cue, we will increase the time in short increments until she’ll hold it open long enough for me to examine all of her teeth.

When training sessions are finished, I double-check all of the bedrooms and exhibits to make sure that everything is secured and all animals look good. Then I’ll go back to the team room and fill out paperwork. I’ll write a daily report to the vet staff, managers, and curators indicating any medical or behavioral issues, medications that I administered, construction work done on any of the exhibits, or anything unusual that happened that day. Then I write a detailed report about the day in the area “redbook” for my supervisor and other keepers to read to keep up on the area. Next are the enrichment records for every animal, and reports on any of the training sessions and how the animals responded. If one of the animals wasn’t doing very well with one of the behaviors, or if we made some progress on a new behavior, that will be noted.

Now it’s 2:30 p.m., and time to go home. As usual, it has been an exciting day. The late keeper, Nicole, will give the cloudies and fishing cat access to their bedrooms when the Zoo closes and bring Rose into her room for dinner. Danai will spend the night out on the tiger exhibit, and Mek will sleep in her hammock in the bedrooms. As I walk out, I say goodbye to each animal and start planning what things we’ll do tomorrow!

Bridget Mulholland is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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Alex graduated from Masvingo College of Art in 1979 with a distinction in welding and sculpting. He moved to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and began working for Sondela Exports. His skills as a carver were recognized and he was promoted to chief carver, a position that allowed many new opportunities. Alex also trained many new and upcoming artists to be their best while employed there. In 1990, he moved back to his home and began carving on his own from wood and stone. His work became so sought after that people were requesting pieces months in advance! Alex’s career has sky rocketed from those beginning years. His studio in Zimbabwe is now home to the most highly talented artists.

Alex and his family presently live in the eastern United States, but with the lure of sunny skies and the wonderful people he has met since being here, I won’t be surprised if he calls Southern California home! Alex will be with us until September 3. Don’t miss him. He is wonderful to speak with as well as to see in action. See ya there!

Deb Erickson-Morris works in the Plant Trader gift shop at the Wild Animal Park.

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I have a pregnant Cuvier’s gazelle that is ready to give birth any day now; one of the flanked duikers has lameness and she holds up her right front leg when she runs; and one of the European wild boars went to the hospital yesterday for a dental and hoof trim, so I wanted to make sure he was doing okay after the anesthesia.

After my checks, I started with the exhibits in which I have to shift off the animals to a back area so they will be out on exhibit when the Zoo opens. The wapiti girls came into the back holding pens for their favorite biscuits. I raked the entire yard because they poop everywhere, changed out all the drinkers, gave fresh hay and grain, brought in mulch for them to play in, and hid ficus around the yard for enrichment. As I let them out, I made sure everyone was doing well.

Then I serviced the banteng exhibit. To do this, I had to shift everyone off the exhibit. I started with the boars. I brought both boars into the back holding and then made up their diets; the male has a special diet because he is getting medication for the next few weeks. I put each boar in a separate holding stall with their respective diet so they can eat in peace and I can know how much each one eats. Then I brought the banteng in. The male comes in first and I bring him into his own stall, then I put the females together in their own stall so I know they will get all of their food. I raked up the exhibit, changed out the hay, brought in mulch, and hid some food around. By the time I was done with that, all were done with their diets. I let everyone out in reverse order and then I went and cleaned all of the holding pens they were just in.

Next, I serviced two lowland anoas (an anoa is pictured here. They are in holding so they are easy to shift back and forth. They get grain, hay, and browse (usually Acacia). Today I hid some hair from a forest buffalo from another area of the Zoo around their pen. The younger anoa loved it. He went straight for it, ignoring the food. Once he found it, he played with it by throwing it around with his mouth.

After the anoa I went into the scimitar-horned oryx pen. I tried to bring them in back, but they were stubborn and stayed on exhibit. I did go out with them but I had to be very careful. If the new kids (about 2 months old) venture over to me, the mothers charge at me. I was charged once while raking the exhibit, but I kept my wheelbarrow in between me and the aggressive mom. I hit my rake on the wheelbarrow to make a noise and she walked away. I put out their food and watched them eat for 30 minutes so I could collect fecal samples from each individual because they will be shipped out soon. Every time they pooped I chased them away, put the poop in a plastic cup, labeled it, and asked my manager to take it up to the hospital.

Then I serviced the Siberian musk deer. He lives alone in a holding pen and he is very flighty, so I was quick. We are doing a taste study with a new grain product, so I measured out the exact consumption for our records. I hid some food around his pen and then left as quickly as I could.

Everything up to this point has taken me about four and half hours, and then I went to lunch (30 minutes). When I got back from lunch, I went into the Cuvier’s gazelle exhibit and noticed the pregnant female was giving birth. She is an experienced mother so I just left her alone while she was in labor. Since I walked in the exhibit to clean, the entire birthing process took about 40 minutes. The baby lay in the area for about 25 minutes then got up and walked clumsily to a hiding spot where the mother directed it. It tucked and was occasionally visited by curious members of the herd. Tomorrow we will process it with the veterinary technicians. We will take blood to make sure it is nursing, we will determine the sex, and we will give it an ID.

During this time, I got a radio call from my manager that the secretary bird jumped out of her exhibit and was walking down the back road! We called the Bird Department and set up a runway into the musk deer pen to catch it up. We moved the musk deer into a barn so he wouldn’t get scared and the bird keepers came and directed the bird by following it up the road into the holding pen. They went in the holding pen and took the bird. She is moving to the Wild Animal Park, so they permanently took her to their holdings to prepare for her shipment.

At this point I got a radio call from the grounds veterinarian who wanted to see the red-flanked duiker with lameness. There seemed to be no improvement since it was first noted, so I was given some meds for her. I put the meds on her favorite treats and fed them to her while following her around the exhibit until she ate them all. This took me 30 minutes. I quickly serviced the rest of the exhibit.

I had a little time left, so I decided to go give some more enrichment to the banteng and the wapiti. I turned on the sprinkler for the wapiti and they all got up and played in the water. While they were doing this, I went over to the banteng exhibit and called the male over from the front of the exhibit into the moat. He sticks his head through the fence rails for a good scratching. I scratch behind his ears and on his side — he loves this! He comes over just for this; I don’t need to feed him anything. While I did this, I answered questions from our visitors about him.

I checked the rest of my animals for my p.m. check. I went back to my office, filled out my paper work (the red book and keeper report), and then headed back to clock out and change clothes.

Adam Ruble is a keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Listen to a keeper talk about what it takes to be in this profession during our new iZoofari Chats!

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The role of the keeper in managing an exotic animals collection has changed dramatically over the years. Today’s keeper is expected to provide much more than cleaning and feeding for their charges. Today’s keeper has a working knowledge of operant conditioning and environmental enrichment and most likely has a four-year college degree in a life science. We act as the interface between the veterinary staff and managers and must be able to detect the most subtle changes in an animal’s behavior. This has particular importance - many animals will attempt to mask a physical problem, as visible weakness in the wild often results in the unwanted attention of predators. In addition, while the veterinary staff prescribes medications, the responsibility falls upon the keeper staff to ensure that the animal accepts the medicine! Not always an easy task, especially with very sensitive and intelligent species such as primates.

In the past, keepers had very little contact with the public. This, too, has changed, with many keepers providing informational talks to visitors and taking part in scheduled shows. Surveys have proven time and time again that the zoo visitor is immensely appreciative of the chance to talk to animal care staff, and even the most informal talk is an opportunity to spread the message that conservation of animals and habitats is important.

Those of you who read our blogs understand the commitment involved in this profession. We urge you to spread the word - zoo keeping is no longer just a job, it is an investment in the future of all species on the planet!

Marcia Redding is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park.

Read Marcia’s previous blog, Sumatran Tiger Cubs Update!

Listen to a keeper talk about what it takes to be in this profession during our new iZoofari Chats!

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