The Fury of Flies

Being a zoo keeper definitely has it's perks. The flies aren't one of them. If I thought the fruit flies in Genetics were bad, I had something coming! These little guys reproduce at outstanding rates and I think I've swallowed or inhaled more than enough for a lifetime. Thankfully, the use of a power-sprayer often takes care of them quickly. In addition to flies, snakes and spiders are starting to emerge for the summer, to soak up the beautiful sun rays. We found a copperhead while digging around for steel gate pins in some leaves the other day. He's probably still hanging out behind the shed. There was also a four or five-foot-long black water snake sunning himself on the road by the river that runs through the zoo. I've also seen at least 2 groundhogs a day for the past week. They're cute little guys.

I love hanging out with the rhinos everyday, but I'm learning more and more that I need to continue on in my education. My future career should be one in which I get to think outside the box, learn new information, and solve problems. Zoo keeping tends to be kind of monotonous. The same tasks have to be carried out day after day to keep the animals safe and happy and the zoo up and running. While it's fun to come up with new forms of enrichment or new ways to train animals to get them to respond for certain medical procedures or other tasks, it's not as exciting to me as the diagnostics involved in medicine or the learning that takes places when talking about new procedures or techniques. Don't get me wrong, I've got A LOT of respect for what zoo keepers do and without their immense hard work and dedication, vets wouldn't have animals to take care of in the first place. But, I think this is experience is pointing me in the direction I've been headed for awhile. It's acting as another decisive factor in helping me determine where my future's headed. And, through the grace of God, I'll end up exactly where I need to be.

God Bless,

Liz

Zoo-rific Fact of the Day: #1) In the early mornings, when the hoofstock walk down the corridor to go out on exhibit, Dumisani the lion roars loudly when he picks up their scent. I love listening to him. #2) A rhino's typical gestation period is 474 days. There are pictures drawn to scale of rhinos at different periods of the gestation period at Animal Health. Pretty neat stuff!