National Zoo Keeper Week
Posted at 9:50 am August 6, 2008 by Kym Nelson
July 20 through 26 marked the second annual National Zoo Keeper Week, a week meant to highlight and celebrate all the things that keepers do. National Zoo Keeper Week was spearheaded last year by the San Diego chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) and this year was celebrated at zoos throughout North America!
Gone are the days when the role of a zoo keeper was simply to show up, clean up, and feed the animals; now, the keeper’s role is much more diverse and challenging. As we all know, keepers are tasked with a huge responsibility and have to look not only after an animal’s physical well-being, but also their mental well-being. A keeper must know all the animals in his or her care and be able to identify immediately when something is amiss. A keeper must also provide a stimulating environment for the animals through research and environmental enrichment. Most keepers today are highly skilled professionals possessing a minimum of a bachelor’s degree related to their field.
National Zoo Keeper Week provided a great opportunity for the keepers at both the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park to highlight all the things we do. Displays were set up at both campuses showcasing items we use in our everyday work. Items used for enrichment, capture and restraint, training, medical care, and feeding were there, along with various photographs and presentations of research projects. From ropes and ear tags to Boomer balls and whistles, items were displayed and guests were invited to view the items and talk with the keepers about their use.
The San Diego Zoo recognized the keepers for all of our hard work and dedication with a series of fun events throughout the week, including a breakfast with a raffle of donated items, pizza lunches, and social happy hours. The week officially ended on July 26, but for us it actually came to a close on Monday, July 28, at Petco Park. Zoo employees and their friends and families gathered to watch the San Diego Padres take on the Arizona Diamondbacks (we won, by the way: 8 to 5!). Before the game, board members of the San Diego AAZK chapter and keepers from both the Park and the Zoo were welcomed onto the field (pictured above). But they didn’t show up alone: they brought along a few animal ambassadors as well: a warthog, a porcupine, and a pangolin! The keepers were acknowledged for all that they do and stood on the field during the singing of the national anthem. Nikki Boyd, an animal care manager at the Zoo, threw out the first pitch, an award she had received from the AAZK chapter for raising the most money for rhino conservation during the annual Bowling for Rhinos fund-raiser held this past May.
All in all I feel that this year’s celebration of National Zoo Keeper Week was a great success. I especially enjoyed sharing stories with all the young, aspiring zoo keepers I met throughout the week!
Kym Nelson is a senior keeper at the Wild Animal Park.
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August 6th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Happy belated Keepers week, I don’t believe there are enough words to show just how much we all appreciate all that you do everyday to ensure the well being of all the animals , you are their eyes and ears since they can’t tell us if something is wrong. It looks so easy and so much fun that sometimes we don’t realize just how much hard work it really is and the fun comes later after all is done. To all of you my deepest gratitude for keeping all the animals in your care happy and healthy. HOORAY FOR ALL THE KEEPERS
August 6th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
Thanks for all you do for all of the animals!
August 7th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Grats to all of the keepers! Where would the zoo be without you, you are all dedicated and hard working keeping the animals safe and well cared for, it shows how much you love animals and love your jobs. Keep up the good work.
I go to the monthly keepers talks and the sunrise strolls I enjoy all of the talks and the up close encounters we get to do and see, so a special thank you to all of you that have taken the time on satrudays to come out to talk to us about the animals, we all know you are every busy and to take time out for us members and animal lovers to teach and inform us, there are really no words to express how much I appreciate all of you.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU, A JOB WELL DONE!!!!!
August 7th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Every day I give thanks for all the keepers and their hard work and loving dedication tp all our creatures big and small. Because of you we all have hope for the future of so many endangered precious species. Rest assured that what you do does not go unnoticed and you are appreciated by all who understand what ‘KEEPER’ means. BLESS YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO!!
Blessed Be All of Thee with LOVE, Judy J
August 7th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Thank you for all you do for the animals.
The National Zoo Keeper Week is a great idea and I enjoyed reading about it.
I am a member of the Zoo, but did not see any notice of that upcoming event. Did I miss it, in a newsletter or somewhere? It would be great to know about these events before they happen so I could plan to attend. I do receive notices of early, early morning events but living in northern Orange County, it’s difficult to get there for really early events. I’d love to be there for ” Tiger Talk” but it’s on Saturdays at 9:15 am; even if I were able to get to the park by 9 am, don’t know if I could get to Tiger River by 9:15 am. I’d like to see more consideration/accomodations for seniors. We still love animals, even if we’re old now!! ha ha
August 7th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
To all of the zoo keepers, you are awesome! The things that you have to do now to keep the animals clean, refreshed, fed, sheltered, safe, and active everyday is a tribute to all of the hard work that you do for these animals, as well as learning what these animals are all about in order to educate all of us about their conservation needs in the wild and working towards habitat rehabilitation. I’m so glad that the old role of zoo keepers is now in the past, and that the new roles that you all are doing now is so much more rewarding and fun. It’s a lot of hard work, too, but all of you have been up to that hard work, and it shows in how well the animals behave and interact with you all. Plus, over the last 25-30 years, zoos have spent millions of dollars and tons of resources to upgrade, rebuild, and renovate their zoos to the standards that have revolutionized what zoos should look and feel like for the future with habitats that simulates the wild animals’ habitats, and getting animals out of cages and small enclosures. Several zoos across the country are still doing rebuilding and renovating, such as National Zoo, Memphis Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, SDZ, our own Lowery Park Zoo here in Tampa, Florida, as well as other zoos. Every zoo now has the main message: Conservation, saving endangered animals, and habitat restoration. Doing various studies about animals, animal behaviors, and other areas are now a part of the zoo keepers job description, and that helps them understand their animals alot more and how to take care of them better. There’s been alot of changes over the last 30 years with more to come in the next 30 years! Keep up the great work, zoo keepers! You deserve alot of praise and kudos!!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
August 7th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the 2 organizations that are making this happen all across the USA: the AZA and the AAZK! Super work from both of them!!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
August 8th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Congratulations! and THANK YOU from all your animal and human friends for an excellent job in caring for our many animal friends, and for educating the rest of us on how we can better care for each other and the planet which we all call home.
August 9th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Thanks to the keepers for all you do for our wonderful animal friends. Through reading the blogs and watching the animal cams, it is very evident that the animals flourish under your care and return the love you give to them. I so much wanted to be a veterinarian or a zoo keeper. Unfortunately, my allergies to animal fur made that something I couldn’t pursue. I do envy you all and thank you for taking good care of all of these creatures so that I may enjoy them from the ” other side” of the enclosure!
August 13th, 2008 at 8:10 am
I am so sad for Mei that she will not have a cub this year, The Zoo finally announced today that Mei is not pregnant, after all that she has gone through and the staff also it is so disapointing to have this outcome but next year is will bring another try and hopefully bring a different outcome.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:27 am
its great that we pay our respects to all those that takeafter the animals. If it wasn’t for them the animals would not be there.