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!
You are so welcome, Chelsea. Thanks so much for stopping by, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
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Thanks for the question, Lion! This definitely depends on the animal's species--as well as its temperment and your individual expertise. In order to be hired as a zookeeper, you generally must first demonstrate sound animal handling skills. Even still, you must often work for quite a while to build up an animal's trust.
For example, I once worked at a zoo that had a six-member wolf pack. New keepers started interacting with the omega wolves under the supervision of senior trainers. After that, the keepers individually worked with the omegas until they established their trust. Then they began working with the betas, and then they moved up to the alphas. This often took weeks, and it sometimes took months. (Sometimes, it wouldn't even work out, because the wolves wouldn't respond to the keeper for whatever reason.)
Obviously, this approach wouldn't be necessary for an animal like a turtle or a domestic goat. That's why there is so much variation in this answer.
Hope this helps!
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I have worked with two bearded dragons, and they were both so docile and easy-going that I would highly recommend them as pets. They love heat, and they are opportunistic omnivores, meaning they will eat almost anything you give them: leafy greens, crickets, mealworms, apples, bananas, figs, etc. They are generally easy to handle, and they are known for being great "starter" reptiles, so even kids are usually capable of caring for them. (Just don't give them to a child who will get bored easily, because they can easily live for 7-10 years.)
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Hi Chelsea! Generally, the chain of command is that the zookeeper will report the escape to his/her immediate supervisor, and that supervisor will report it to the Curator of Animals. The Curator will inform the Executive Director, and the Curator is also the one who will typically report the escape to outside authorities / emergency responders. In the event the Curator is unavailable, the immediate supervisor will usually be the one who takes on emergency response responsibilities.
Zoos already have emergency plans in place for each possible animal escape, so the zookeepers will typically jump to action as soon as they have reported the escape to their supervisors. This way, the situation can be addressed quickly while still ensuring the proper authorities receive the alert.
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Hi Max. This question is almost impossible to answer, as the problems vary widely between species. Some common problems, however, are poaching, habitat loss, deforestation, pollution, climate change... I would recommend researching specific species for more informaiton. Best of luck to you.
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Hi Zach, and so sorry for the delay in my response. Yes, many animals can be flown from one facility to another. This is often the safest and most reliable option, as we want to get animals out of potentially stressful situations--like travel--as quickly as we possibly can. Trainers just have to work very closely with their animals to prepare them for their journey, and trainers and medical staff have to make the journey with them to monitor them and make sure they remain stable and as comfortable and relaxed as possible.
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Hi Carly! These two endeavors definitely go hand in hand, as many zoos and aquariums participate in rehabilitation programs in addition to husbandry programs. I know I have personally been fortunate enough to assist in the rescues, rehabs and releases of many animals, including: California sea lions, harbor seals, northern fur seals, elephant seals, green sea turtles, Kemp's ridley sea turtles, raccoons, squirrels, songbirds, raptors, and moose.
Volunteering at rehab centers is also a great way to gain hands-on animal experience--which will help pave your way into a paying zookeeper job. This is how I got my start!
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