LisaAnnOKane
Tampa, FL
Female, 32
During my zookeeping and environmental education career, I have interacted and worked with a variety of animals, including brown bears, wolverines, red foxes, moose, camels, mountain goats, dolphins, sea lions, raccoons, porcupines, snakes, raptors and ravens. I am also a young adult author, and my debut novel ESSENCE was released in June 2014 by Strange Chemistry Books. Ask me anything!
Hi Chelsea! I assume this question is piggy-backing on your last question about animal escapes. Since I have already answered what an employee would do in this situation, I will expand and say that if a zoo guest ever sees an escape, he/she should tell whichever employee is the closest to him/her--whether that employee is a gardener, a custodian, a camp counselor, etc. All employees are trained to deal with emergency situations, so those people will know exactly how to make sure the proper authorities receive the alert.
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Hi Rissa! I have never personally worked with elephants, but a few of my good friends have. Shoot me an email at lisaannokane(at)outlook(dot)com, and I will hook you up with one for your report!
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I'm not certain I know how to accurately answer this question, as each animal is typically owned by the zoo from which it escapes--with a few exceptions for breeding loans, etc. Also, each animal is generally apprehended before too much time passes, so it is almost never necessary to report an escape to an outside owner.
If, for some reason, a breeder loan animal (or other outside animal) either went missing or was forced to be put down during an escape, there would typically be a clause in that animal's loan contract that would detail how the receiving zoo would respond to this--whether it is a no-fault situation, a situation where a replacement animal would need to be acquired, etc.
(Again, this happens to infrequently that it's almost never necessary to actually deal with it. Even still, I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry.)
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Hi Jill! This is a great question. I think the first step is definitely establishing realistic expectations for each particular animal. (A domestic camel, for example, is going to initially be much more apt for enthusiastic interactions than a mountain goat.) You can research other zoo's behavioral plans to see what worked and what didn't work for them, and you can also do your homework and take a look at each animal's natural history to get a clue how it will respond to your presence.
Once you have established a basic plan for your interactions with your new animal, your next step will be to be consistent--and patient! Successful interactions, connections, and relationships vary widely between species and individual animals, and there is no magic number for how quickly or slowly these relationships will develop.
To make things even more complicated, sometimes an animal will NEVER respond to you the way you think it should. In my experience, individual animals have demonstrated preferences for certain keepers versus others in ways that defied logic. Maybe it's your smell, maybe it's the sound of your voice... No matter what you do, some animals just aren't going to connect with you. That's why it's so important to keep an open mind--and to pay strict attention to what your animal is actually telling you, not just what you think it should be telling you.
At the end of the day, it's exciting to witness which ones you connect with versus which ones you really don't. Sometimes, they surprise you!
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Hi Laura! Most for-profit organizations are not allowed to have volunteers, so your best bet would be to look for a non-profit zoo/aquarium in the Orlando area. Off the top of my head, I know the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford accepts volunteers. I would recommend visiiting their website to see what their specific requirements are. Best of luck to you!
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Hi again, Bulldogs! It often takes an animal a little while to adjust to its new environment, so zookeepers are very patient. They also take great care to make the environment as "interesting" as possible so the animal has many opportunities for mental and physical stimulation.
If it seems like an animal isn't responding well to its environment, they will work hard to adapt their behavioral management plans to provide new opportunities for the animal. They may even combine certain species together (if possible) to provide companionship if the animal is the only one of its kind.
If these methods still don't work, zoos may begin to consider transferring the animal to another facility where they think it may be more successful. They won't rest until they find a solution!
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Great question, CAT! Primate enrichment programs—like any other animal enrichment programs—are designed to enhance a particular animal’s behavioral, physical, social, cognitive and psychological well being. Enrichment is of particular importance to very complex animals like primates, because they require a great deal of physical, mental and social stimulation.
The first step in designing an enrichment program for a primate is to research that species’ natural behaviors and physiology. Once you have a handle on what the animal “likes to do,” the next step is to design a goal-oriented plan that identifies the species-specific behaviors are desired from that animal (digging, nesting, etc.).
In the case of large primates, structural enrichment and object enrichment are used quite often in enrichment plans. Artificial trees, platforms, hammocks, hoses and rope provide opportunities for decision making—and so do novel items like crates, balls, food items, barrels, burlap sacks, boxes, etc.
It is important to provide enrichment items at variable intervals to prevent animal boredom. It is also important to provide social enrichment in the form of companionship with other animals, training sessions and bonding time with trainers.
Enrichment plans must include how the enrichment will be developed, how it will ensure the animal’s safety, and how it will be monitored to document the animal’s response to it. (Interns and/or volunteers usually do the majority of monitoring.)
Understanding that many animals often require a “breaking in period” where they size up new additions to their environment, trainers should make sure to keep detailed records to ensure the animal eventually utilizes and is stimulated by the enrichment provided.
Hope this helps!
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