It feels like Mike has been around forever, but he only started volunteering with us last May. Mike helps us out mostly in the Farmyard. It’s no wonder he likes being in the Farmyard so much- for the past 20 years he’s lived on a farm in Durham with a bunch of horses and dogs (as well as some parakeets, a tarantula, and a human). He takes Max and Lightning for walks. He is also mainly responsible for keeping Lightning’s hooves in great condition.
Mike is retired from Research Triangle Institute where he was the Security Services Coordinator. We were grateful to have him help us in our last two animal department emergency trainings. (His background in security helped him play an escaped bear). In all seriousness, having his help was, and is, a real asset to our team as we prepare for emergency and security issues.
Mike even came in on Christmas morning to help me (along with Donald). He made my day much better. In general, he makes our days much better when he is here. It’s not only because of his hard work, but also because of his sense of humor and his understanding and appreciation of our team and the animals. As always, I, and we, are indebted to Mike for all he does for us.