Just Another Day for Hospital Keepers
Posted at 4:28 pm February 27, 2008 by Yvette Kemp
It was like every other evening at dinner when I was asked, “How was your day today?” My answer, “It was okay; the usual.” That’s when I had to put on the mental brakes. I realized that my “usual” really isn’t most people’s “usual.” Especially last week, when we had a lioness in one room, a fossa in another, and a koala, flamingo, and a Gaboon viper (pictured) in another. That’s not even counting the other patients that were waiting patiently in the hallway!
The duty list for the hospital at the San Diego Zoo that day was quite impressive. The reason: there would be four vets working hospital cases (checking patients that are coming to the hospital) and one vet working grounds cases (checking patients that are on Zoo grounds). As hospital keepers, we were ready for a busy day.
First, we had to bring in the flamingo that had a heart murmur. As a hospital keeper held him for a vet check, the koala arrived for his annual exam and radiographs. That’s when we received the call that lioness Mweezi was on her way to the hospital for her annual physical, already darted and asleep, and help would be needed to lift her out of the van and onto the examination table. Once the lioness was stable and on the table, we saw the reptile keeper go in the room with the Gaboon viper (only reptile keepers handle the venomous reptiles). Then another vet needed help getting the fossa out of the crate and anesthetizing it for its exam. All this going on and it wasn’t even 10 a.m. yet!
Once all the examination tables were full and the vets were working with their cases, we were able to continue with the patients that are temporarily housed at the hospital. The hornbill needed its medication, the bowsprit tortoises needed to be separated to receive their medication, the fishing cat in quarantine needed a fecal sample to be collected, and I had to find the right radio station for the fig parrot in the bird quarantine room (he likes his music).
Every once in awhile we check in with the vets to see if they need us at that moment or find out when they’ll need us. The lioness was going to need to be turned over shortly and the fossa’s footpads were so cute a paw print was wanted. One thing we are is versatile, and variety makes the job much more enjoyable!
So next time I respond that my day was “oh, the usual,” you might want to get the details!
Yvette Kemp is a senior hospital keeper at the San Diego Zoo
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February 28th, 2008 at 9:56 am
WOW you all are amazing. It seems like you are a well oiled team and can anticipate each others next move, that in itself shows your dedication to the job. keep up the great work that you do on behalf of our critters large and small