I've been putting writing this post off for hours now. Well, days, actually. Because by writing it, the fact that I'm not going to work tomorrow becomes even more real. This past week at the zoo has been filled with learning experiences and fun times spent with the great people who have given of themselves this summer to teach me about their passions and allow me to grow as an individual. So, in an effort to deal with having to say goodbye for now, I've decided to reflect on the learning objectives I set for myself two-and-a-half months ago and how this experience has helped me achieve those goals.
My learning objectives:
1) Gain better holistic understanding of medicine, ethics, husbandry, behavior, and welfare by working with exotic animals, their keepers, and their veterinary staff to perceive animal care in its entirety.
Check. Through the gracious efforts of the Savannah team, I’ve been able to cover all of these topics and more. This objective basically covers everything I did this summer and to go into detail might serve as redundant to my previous posts. For now, suffice it to say that my overall experience covered much more than cleaning out holding stalls. Today, for instance, I cleaned rhino in the morning, learned how to use a bird egg incubator, saw the sea lion pups, took lots of pictures, listened to the lion keeper chat, gave the rhino keeper chat, fed lions, watched lion training, blew bubbles at foxes and meerkats, administered fly spray, had bonding time with rhinos over peanut butter and celery, got soaking wet in the rain at 9 AM, was sweating buckets by 2 PM, did dishes, moved logs, gave giraffe treats, and celebrated being a member of the best team at the zoo.
2) Learn how to better work with wild animals by being exposed to and implementing safety procedures and behavioral strategies encouraged and supported by the zoo staff.
What zookeepers refer to as "hot" animals are abundant on the Savannah. Lions as well as chimps fall into that category of being especially dangerous to humans should one ever for some reason escape its holdings. While at the zoo, I've witnessed both the correct and incorrect procedures for working around these animals. For keepers who maintain high standards of safety, this means being observant, focusing attention on the animal, checking locks (sometimes multiple times), and using common sense. Maintaining a calm, cool, and collected attitude doesn't hurt, either. I've also been fortunate enough to witness behavior training with the rhinos, lions, and orangutans, which allows for maintenance and medical procedures to be conducted safely.
3) Prepare for graduate studies dealing with animals by entering into meaningful conversations with keepers and the veterinary staff about their personal experiences and recommendations.
According to zoo vet, Kirk, U of MO Columbia is the only vet school that exists. Can you tell he's an alum? Through reading and online research, I've come to the conclusion that accredited vet schools are held to certain standards of excellence across the nation and to get into one, even if it doesn't happen to be Mizzou, is quite the honor and achievement. (Wish me luck!) I think I mentioned this in an earlier post, and it's undoubtedly been confirmed through my conversations with the keepers on my team, but I'll reiterate: I want and need a career in which I have the opportunity to solve problems, work out puzzles, be creative, and interact with people on a daily basis. While zoo keeping definitely involves great communication skills and teamwork, it doesn't necessarily offer much human contact and, as one of the keepers on my team who LOVES zoo keeping but had previously considered a career as a vet put it: "I miss the thinking part of my life." While she admits that sometimes enrichment and behavior training take creative measures, zookeepers don't have to diagnose and treat problems on a regular basis. So, vet school application, here I come.
4) Explore the similarities and differences in working with large exotic species in contrast with small domestic pets by obtaining hands-on experience in a zoo setting in order to improve and build upon life goals and acquire vision for the future.
Vision for the future. Such a necessary (and scary, but very exciting!) part of life. For right now, mine includes vet school. I’m taking consolation in the fact that, at the very least, I have a couple years to decide if I want to specialize in exotic medicine or not. And, if I don’t get into vet school, zoo keeping is definitely an option. Exotic animals hold a variety of possibilities as far as research and study simply because we don’t know as much about say, kudu, as we do about Great Danes. There aren’t “normal” values for blood protein levels and drug administration can be tricky. Environment also makes treating exotic animals in a zoo setting tough. As Kirk put it, “You can’t just throw them on an exam table, tell them to hold still, and see what’s wrong.” Exotics, however, contains the exciting menagerie of animals not found in small animal settings and allows one to work “in the field” rather than in an office. And, working with these beautiful animals makes me feel like I’m giving something back to the Earth--whether it be through conservation messages or taking care of one Eastern Black Rhino who is safe in the zoo, as opposed to the mere 3,000 left in the wild—that I’m helping to create a better, more beautiful world for generations to come.
Thank you to the Kansas City Zoo, particularly Tim, Adam, Andy, Tracy, Ellie, Jill, Kelly, Jeremiah, Roy, Stacia, Nick, and Cinnamon for making this an experience I’ll never forget, teaching me the “tricks” of the trade, and sharing laughs along the way. Words cannot express my gratitude!
God Bless,
Liz
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