We also post videos and stories about the funny things our animals do that the visitors often times don’t see, like Wendy the thief who stole invoices from Sherry’s office, and red wolf #1390’s humorous interactions with a fake enrichment animal, as well as watching bears scramble around for food when it’s suppertime in the bear house (with Virginia’s after-dinner bath, too!).
But in case those stories are not what you’re looking for, I asked the keepers some questions that would best explain how they feel about their job. One of Katy’s favorite things about being a keeper is the experiences with the animals. She really enjoys hearing our barred owls hooting in the morning when she’s the only one around, and gets laughs out of watching Mimi the bear put freshly cut grass in her mouth and then throw it all over herself.
Jill really likes the diverse group of animals she works with, which is different from the way larger zoos operate (read divisions of labor to learn more). Kristen finds amusement with the instinctive flinch she has when she is holding a mouse with the tongs and the rattlesnake strikes at it, even though she knows she is perfectly safe. My personal favorite is when I get to hold our (sedated) red wolves while they are having their annual physicals. I love the feeling I get knowing that I am holding one of the rarest animals in the world!
Great post, Marilyn! I’ve put a link to it on the Job Opportunities page for the Museum. I get a lot of questions about being an animal keeper, so this post will be a good resource for those wanting to know more about the job.
I would love to see Mimi covering herself with freshly cut grass. Perhaps this is a future video post?Congrats again to the blogging team for surpassing the 100-post mark!
if i am not US citizen,can i working in your places???
Thank you
People can work at the Museum of they are US citizens or have appropriate working papers/work visas from other countries.
Contact our Human Resources department to get details.
Can you tell me what kind of education someone needs to follow in order to work as an animal keeper? Thank you in advance.