Time at the Zoo's Hospital
Posted at 3:51 pm September 25, 2006 by Yvette KempI have been pretty lucky throughout my years working at the San Diego Zoo. For over 10 years, I have been able to work with a variety of animals, such as hippos, meerkats, antelope, and great apes. When a position for a hospital keeper opened, I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn about more of the animals in the Zoo's collection. Boy, was I right! For the last three months I have been learning all kinds of things about the many mammals, birds, and reptiles we have.
The first thing everyone says when they find out I work as a hospital keeper is, " Isn't it hard working with all those sick animals?" I actually have a few responses to that.
First of all, if I was a patient, I would definitely want the people who were helping me get better to really care about me. That is certainly the case of the staff at the Zoo hospital. The vets, techs, and keepers really do their best to take care of and get to know each of the animals that come to the hospital, be they an outpatient or a long-term patient.
Secondly, not all the animals at the hospital are patients. Some animals arrive here to go through quarantine. That means they are stationed at the hospital until they pass their physical exams; then they can go to their new home at the Zoo, Wild Animal Park, or even another facility. For instance, there was the cutest little American pronghorn that lived at the hospital for several months while she was in quarantine. She was a very outgoing antelope who was afraid of nothing. You could bring in a platform to weigh her, a crate to get her used to walking into, a ladder to hang enrichment and browse with, and more. She acted like all these items were things she saw everyday. She was fun, too. She loved to prong when you lightly sprayed her pen and she enjoyed butting her head into the rake as you cleaned her stall. But she loved her baby formula the most. She would do anything if the bottle was present, even let the vets take blood for analysis! Now she is in training to become an animal ambassador at the Zoo's Hunte Amphitheater.
Besides patients and quarantine animals, there are also animals that are housed at the hospital while their exhibits are being worked on, when introducing new members to an animal group, or those that just need some R&R time.
So you see, not all the animals that are at the hospital are patients. But if they are a patient, you can be guaranteed they are in good hands.
As I learn more about my job and the animals I work with, I hope to share my experiences with you. It's a great place to be and I'm sure you'll agree.
Yvette M. Kemp is now a senior hospital keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
Read Yvette's previous blog, Time with the Siamangs.
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September 26th, 2006 at 8:10 am
Thanks, Yvette, for a great blog. It sounds like fun and you obviously enjoy your job. The animals in your care are blessed to have you and the caring staff at the Zoo's " hospital" working with them. Keep up the great work, and keep sharing your experiences and insights with us.
September 26th, 2006 at 2:00 pm
It was great hearing of your new experiences at the hospital. Are you at the new Harter hospital at the Park or at the Zoo's facility? I'm guessing the Harter, since you spoke of quarantined animals, and the facilities there are so much larger. I do miss seeing you at the Absolutely Apes exhibit, and I'm sure the orangutans and siamangs do also. I hope you'll continue to share your experiences with us.
Editor's note: Yvette is at the Zoo's hospital facility. We're glad she's still writing blogs, no matter where she is!
September 26th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
Your blog really helped educate me as to the many functions of the Zoo's hospital. I guess when we hear the word " hospital," we naturally think of surgery and other similar necessities. To learn about some of the other functions makes it sound like a bustling place where many different and positive things are happening–all for the benefit of our special animals. Thanks for your blog and thanks for being one of many who care for all who pass through the facility–for whatever reason!