The Best Job in the World
Posted at 11:17 am January 26, 2006 by Ellie Rosenbaum” You have the best job in the world!” This is a comment that we narrators hear daily in our work at the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Research Station. Yes, we do, but as members of the Zoo’s Education Department there’s a bit more to it than sitting and watching pandas all day. There are several of us who do this as our main job function, but some of us are cross-trained as educators. This can involve caring for animals in our office or in the Children’s Zoo that are used for animal presentations, giving tours and animal presentations, teaching workshops and summer camp classes, helping out at Zoo sleepovers, or writing for Zoo publications and various parts of this Web site. It requires a lot of continuous study to learn as much as we can about the plant and animal collections here at the Zoo, including new babies or animals that have arrived from another facility. With nearly 8,000 kinds of plants and 4,000 animals here on grounds, there’s always something to learn!
Panda keepers, too, do more than meets the eye. Yes, cleaning and caring for the giant pandas is a part of their daily routine, but they care for a number of other animals in that area of the Zoo, including western tufted deer and Siberian musk deer living across from the panda area near Speedramp 1, and northern crested porcupines and three-banded armadillos that live near the base of Speedramp 2. As part of the Sun Bear Forest Team, they are called upon to assist with major projects throughout Bear and Cat canyons, in addition to their normal responsibilities. Keepers, too, spend a lot of time reading and learning about their charges and developing new and interesting enrichment items for them.
” How can I get a job at the Zoo?” Job postings can be found here on our Web site and job fairs are held seasonally for food service and gift shop positions. It surprises people to know, though, that only about 10 percent of the employees here ever work directly with animals. Other employees work in Food Service, Construction and Maintenance, Information Services, Merchandising, Horticulture, Buildings and Grounds – all areas necessary to keep the Zoo running smoothly for our animals and our guests.We hope that all of you will have a chance to come and see this for yourselves, but if not, keep checking our Web site for more information and updates on what’s happening at the Zoo.
Ellie Rosenbaum is an panda narrator/educator at the San Diego Zoo.
Here’s more information about the different jobs it takes to run a zoo.
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January 26th, 2006 at 12:23 pm
What a day for cuteness it is in panda-cam land! It’s just after noon your time in SD, and we’ve had such a treat from all of our black-and-white friends! I just saw Bai Yun up in the tree with Su Lin, then switched to Tai rearing up and imitating a keeper who was replenishing Mei’s bamboo supply, then switched back in time to see Bai looking skyward in the tree as Su’s little round rear end disappeared from view into the leaves! In between was a rare camera view of ham Tian Tian, Tai’s daddy, in his indoor enclosure who chose this precise moment to relieve himself. And now, it’s Mei and Tai sitting about 5 feet apart ” eating” bamboo outside looking like mirror images of one another! That all of this is possible to enjoy in one fell swoop is just an embarrassment of riches! Bravo to all of our pandas and the videographers who keep them in front of our rapt smiles!
January 26th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
Even after reading your post, Ellie, and all your explanations of the different tasks involved, I still say ” you have the best job in the world!” …. LOL! Thanks for all that you and others like you do at all these Zoos in the USA!
January 26th, 2006 at 4:55 pm
Thank you for telling us about the responsibilities and opportunities you and other SDZ staff members have to teach children and adults, including pandaholics, about the animals. As a teacher, I especially appreciate your blogs.
What a wonderful time with Su Lin this afternoon (camera 6), watching her entertain herself on the wooden platform in the tree she likes. One month certainly has made a difference in how she moves with confidence, not appearing to be afraid of falling off her perch. To be able to watch her growth and development in a real delight — I hope many others were able to watch, too! Thank you for keeping the camera on her as she played happily.
January 26th, 2006 at 5:17 pm
When we write in and thank all of you, we know what all you do. We know that you just don’t sit and watch pandas. It is just that we are so excited to see the babies and moms at the time. We know all the hard work it takes to keep the zoo functional. Thanks to all of you again
January 27th, 2006 at 7:37 am
I have always been interested in working with animals and after reading these blogs I am more keen than ever!
By the way, I am really enjoying watching Gao Gao and Mei Sheng more as well as Bai Yun and Su Lin (who I am fascinated with). Mei is such a dear little chap and I really missed not seeing him every day.
January 27th, 2006 at 10:43 am
Thanks for the picture of one of you holding Su Lin. That gives us a good reference for just how big she really is getting. Wow! She is still precious, but she’s not a ‘little bit’ anymore.
January 27th, 2006 at 11:06 am
Isn’t it strange how the pandas are such creatures of habit? I swear, I don’t even need a clock anymore. All I have to do is check in on Su Lin, Tai and their mommies to find out what the time of day is. Every day is the same – and you can pretty much tell what the clock will be saying just by checking in on the Pandacams!
January 27th, 2006 at 12:43 pm
What a lovefest between Su Lin and Bai Yun this a.m.! Momma hugged, nuzzled, and bathed the baby for a long time. And Su kept playing with Bai. Just when the cub seemed to be sneaking away, her mother would grab her and play with her some more–so sweet. I wondered if they were kept inside at that time because Bai sometimes would look outside, as if she were just waiting to get out there.
January 27th, 2006 at 1:49 pm
LOL! You mean you don’t get to play with the pandas ALL day? Well then I don’t want to job!
January 27th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
To be an educator is indeed a special job. Thanks so much, Ellie, for being our teacher as you narrate from the chair at the Panda Research Center and thanks for your written contributions on this website. You have many students young and old from all around the world who appreciate your gifts. The best teachers are those who continue learning themselves, and it sounds like you are doing just that–no wonder you are so good at what you do!
January 27th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
Tai Shan was observed by SNZ staff ” scent marking.” Evidentally this is unusual at this young age. Where could he have observed this? Where did he learn this? His only contact has been Mei Xiang. Do female giant pandas ” scent mark” or is this a male thing only?
Where is Su Lin today? A day without pandas is a day without sunshine.
January 28th, 2006 at 8:00 am
#11, Ellen: We breed dogs, so we have a ” hormonal” canine household and are quite in tune with scent marking! Even when not in heat, our females routinely mark objects to attract a male’s attention, respond to a mark left by a male, or to protect an area occupied by a puppy; some even lift legs like boys do! For several days this week, I observed Mei being quite restless, and she would indeed stop and scent mark the ground in just the way described by the NZP staff. It’s only about a month to the time when Mei had her estrus last year, so if lactation doesn’t preclude a heat cycle, her hormones could be changing. If her hormones aren’t changing, Tian’s nevertheless are; his testosterone levels have been rising for a few months in preparation for his breeding period. He’s been scent marking a lot, according to NZP, and I think the ” keeper area” where Tai was seen marking refers to the scale area on the patio–an area that all three pandas share. Tian’s scent would definitely be present there for both Mei and Tai to notice. Perhaps Mei’s been responding to Tian’s scent marking, and Tai has both followed his own instinct to leave a scent for Tian (nature) and imitated the example set by his mother (nurture). LOL Of course, if Tai’s going to be so advanced in advertising his presence with scent marking, he’d better learn how to escape predators by shimmying over those metal sleeves to the tops of his trees! I’ve seen him trying! Perhaps he needs to watch some SD panda cam of his cute cousin Su Lin in action!
January 28th, 2006 at 9:41 am
Comment 11 – As far as I know that scent marking is an important means of communication of pandas , both male and female would make the scent mark,
January 29th, 2006 at 8:39 am
Hello Ellie,
I do believe that most of us are aware of what a tremendous amount of work and study goes into your job and that of your colleagues. As has already been said I think it is because we are visiting our panda family daily that we do tend to speak in the main about them. I personally do appreciate that years of outside and inside education and training is needed to be able to be a part of working with all of the animals. Again though I do have to say I feel you are so lucky to work where you do and do the job that you do.
Thanks for all of your work and dedication.
Valerie Warburton – UK
January 30th, 2006 at 8:59 pm
I just read that Tai has finally climbed up a tree and the keepers had to get a ladder to carry him down! LOL! We are so overprotective of our East Coast cub! Just like firsttime parents! Glad to see he can have the same fun that Su has been having!
January 31st, 2006 at 9:32 am
Yes, we would all like to be playing with the pandas…but the reality is you are educating yourself to give all of the animals what they need and by no means do I see that as easy nor always ” fun” …I say ” you do the best job in the world” !!!
February 8th, 2006 at 8:14 pm
I just love the web site and the panda cam. I am addicted!
I have always wanted to know about the type of fur the pandas have. Is it: Soft? ” Furry” ? Dense? Stiff? The biggest thrill in the world would be to stroke the head of a panda! Thanks for all the work you do on their behalf.
Sandy from Pennsylvania