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!
Thanks for the great question, Great Outdoors... There are so many misconceptions about this that I'm happy to share my knowledge! Many people split bear attacks into two categories: black bear attacks or brown bear attacks. I think, however, that it's infinitely more helpful to split bear attacks into two different categories: DEFENSIVE attacks or PREDATORY attacks. DEFENSIVE attacks are the ones we are FAR more likely to encounter in the wild: we've stumbled upon a bear, startled it, blocked its access or threatened its food, gotten between a sow and her cubs, etc. These attacks are typically not as life-threatening as predatory attacks, because the bears will generally stop attacking us as soon as they feel like we are no longer a threat. (Slightly heartening, I suppose...) Defensive attacks by brown bears are far more common than defensive attacks by black bears, because black bears evolved in habitats with lots of trees. When black bears feel threatened, they typically just scoot up the closest one. Brown bears, on the other hand, evolved in more open areas, so they are more hard-wired to stand their ground. If you ever encounter a startled bear, remain calm and do not run. Here are some tips from BearInfo.org: 1. Speak in a low monotone voice so the bear can identify you as human. 2. A bear may charge in an attempt to intimidate you – usually stopping well short of contact. 3. If contact is made, or about to be made, drop to the ground and play dead. Protect your back by keeping your pack on. 4. Lie on your stomach, clasp your hands behind your neck, and use your elbows and toes to avoid being rolled over. If the bear does roll you over, keep rolling until you land back on your stomach. 5. Remain still and quiet. A defensive bear will stop attacking once it feels the threat has been removed. 6. Do not move until you are absolutely sure the bear has left the area. PREDATORY attacks are incredibly rare, but they are exactly what they sound like: attacks where a bear is purposefully seeking us out and intending to kill and eat us. This is the stuff nightmares are made of, so it's obviously important to react differently. Here are some more tips from BearInfo.org: 1. Any bear that continues to approach, follow, disappear and reappear or displays other stalking behaviors is possibly considering you as prey. Bears that attack you in your tent or confront you aggressively in your campsite or cooking area should also be considered a predatory threat. 2. If the bear does not respond to aggressive actions such as yelling or throwing rocks and sticks, you should be prepared to physically fight back if it attempts to make contact. 3. Try to be intimidating: look as large as possible. If you are in a group, stand close together to give the illusion of size. 4. If you have bear spray, emit a deterring blast, preferably before the bear is within twenty-five feet. This gives the animal time to divert its advance. 5. If the attack escalates and the bear physically contacts you, fight back with anything that is available to you. You are quite literally fighting for your life. (Ironically, black bears are responsible for the majority of predatory attacks, not brown bears. This is why popular wisdom suggests only fighting back during black bear attacks and playing dead during brown bear attacks. Who knew?)
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This is a very difficult question to answer, as the rule of thumb is simply to get the situation under control as quickly as possible while also ensuring the safety of everyone involved. I have been part of escapes that have taken only moments to contain, and I have also had to spend an hour or more corraling an animal down from a tree, out from under a barn, etc.
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A Bactrian camel. Hands-down--and I am kind of embarassed to tell you that, because I feel like I should tell you something with more street cred, like a tiger or a polar bear.
But it's funny... I think we tend to be attracted to animals that we identify with in some way. And maybe I just identify with creatures that are a little awkward and misunderstood, because my top five favorite animals of all time are: a Bactrian camel that slipped when he ran too fast, a rough-toothed dolphin with scoliosis of the spine, a moose that loved to give kisses, a red fox that wagged his tail every time he saw me, and a raccoon that liked to sit on my head.
Also, I would LOOOOVE to work with sloths some day. Or anteaters. Or prehensile-tailed porcupines.
Pretty much the Island of Misfit Toys, over here. ;)
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Hi GD! Since polar bears are so intelligent and large, their space requirements are kind of mind-boggling. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums sets the standards for polar bear enclosures in accredited facilities, and they have an entire handbook on polar bears. (Here's the link: http://goo.gl/gLFh9S)
In terms of physical space, "the Manitoba Standards state that 1-2 bears must be given access to 5400ft2 of dry land, with an additional 1650ft2 of land for each additional polar bear. The Polar Bear Protection Act requires a pool with area of 760ft2, and with a deep end that is 9' or more deep be incorporated within the polar bear habitat."
In addition, "the landscape should be naturalistic (e.g., planted with grass, bushes, and trees for shade) and functional, including as key elements: a pool, foliage, habitat furniture (e.g., boulders, trees, logs, etc.), open/panoramic views, and substrate pits with various materials... Climbing structures and platforms can be used to provide polar bears with accessible vantage points that enable them to observe distant vistas beyond their habitat, and this can serve to increase the sensory complexity of the habitat itself."
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Poet
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Thanks for stopping by, Nate. The reptiles I have worked with (ball pythons, rosy boas, western hognose snakes, African spurred tortoises, red-eared sliders, bearded dragons, blue-tongued skinks, etc.) have mostly been outreach animals, and their training has mostly just been desensitization to human touch. However, I have seen other trainers perform impressive alligator and crocodile training, so I know some reptiles are capable of more advanced training. I have just never been part of it. (Alligators and crocodiles also happen to be my biggest fear, so it's probably for the best! ;))
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Hi DvDee! There is definitely some overlap between these careers, and many zookeepers and marine mammal trainers actually have degrees in marine biology. (Other popular degrees are zoology, biology, environmental science, psychology and wildlife management. Pretty much any science-related degree is a great start!) Another exciting thing about these careers is the fact that marine biologists and zookeepers often work together for certain projects. For instance, I once worked at a marine mammal facility that had a partnership with a dolphin researcher from a nearby university. He often came out and did research on the behaviors and social interactions between our rough-toothed dolphins, and we got to help facilitate his findings. Always a high point of our week, as there's nothing like being on the cutting edge of dolphin research!
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Hi Hannah, and thanks so much for your question. You can become a zookeeper with any number of degrees, so I would definitely recommend settling on the one you personally find the most interesting: biology, zoology, chemistry, environmental science, psychology, marine biology, natural resources, etc.
I would also recommend checking out the American Association of Zookeepers' "Zookeeping as a Career" page for tons of links and helpful hints: http://aazk.org/zoo-keeping-as-a-career/
The amount of one-on-one time you get really depends on the species of animal and your experience level. Once you are fully trained, you can count on spending quite a bit of time interacting with your animals--either one-on-on or through some kind of protective barrier.
Best of luck to you!
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