One of the many aspects of our job as animal keepers is to help educate the public. Programs are the best way to share information about our animals while also allowing us to talk about wildlife and the dangers that some species face today. In the process, these programs give us the opportunity to reach out and interact with our visitors so they can ask us questions that, unless through this blog, they would otherwise not be able to. The picture above was taken at the Black Bear exhibit during a Meet the Keeper Program ( the keeper is to the right in a purple shirt). These programs are held every day at 2:00 pm and rotate between the Lemur, Red Wolf and Black Bear exhibits. Along with learning about the different species, sometimes the keepers will also incorporate food or other enrichment items into the programs for both the animals and visitors to enjoy. When you’re here, look for the Meet the Keeper sign at the top of the boardwalk leading to Explore the Wild to find out where the program will be held that day.
This keeper is answering one of the visitor’s questions. What would you ask us? How much our biggest bear weighs? What it’s like to care for Red Wolves? You can ask right here if you want, or find out in person during your next visit.