Four students from High Tech High (Tyler, Madalyn, Laura, and Daniel) are interning with the San Diego Zoo as Teen Reporters, sharing some of the fun experiences they’ve had at the Zoo and the Wild Animal Park.

As we were going upstairs to the feeding area with Fernando, a keeper for the gorillas, the gorillas knew that he had food for them to eat. They started raising their hands and clapping them, trying to get Fernando’s attention so he could throw some food at them. He threw so many heads of lettuce and fruit for the gorillas to eat. It was really amazing that some of the gorillas could catch the food when Fernando threw it! I thought that it was hysterical that they would hold their lettuce in one hand and raise their other hand asking for more. After a while, some gorillas had a whole salad bar, which finally made them content enough to sit down and eat.
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Four students from High Tech High (Tyler, Madalyn, Laura, and Daniel) are interning with the San Diego Zoo as Teen Reporters, sharing some of the fun experiences they’ve had at the Zoo and the Wild Animal Park.

Model of a California condor on display at the Zoo's Beckman Center for Conservation Research

Condors are one of the most endangered species on our earth. The main reasons they are endangered are from destruction of habitat, poaching, and lead poisoning. Poachers are killing these miraculous animals, and human beings are cutting down their habitats for their own benefits. Some hunters shoot with lead bullets due to the inexpensive prices, but the results of these inexpensive prices come with their own price: the increasing risk of California condor extinction. When some hunters kill game with a lead bullet, the carcass of the animal is often left behind for other animals such as the condor to feed off of. Condors eating the hunted carcass also consume the lead bullet left behind by the hunter. This lead bullet is very bad for the condor and causes lead poisoning, killing off the very few condors we have left in the wild.
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Sleeping 18 to 20 hours a day seems like the perfect life, for a koala, that is! Koalas mainly eat and sleep all day long. When they sleep they are usually in a tree curled up in a ball. Eucalyptus leaves are their main diet. Other animals, including other marsupials, cannot digest Eucalyptus leaves like koalas can. Their big claws are used to protect themselves and used for climbing. Their front two claws have two thumbs and three fingers, which help them climb better and faster. They live in Australia and spend a majority of their time in trees, yet occasionally walk around on the ground.
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What is enrichment? I was wondering about that. I was watching the elephants eat out of different bins at their exhibit and was wondering why they ate out of them. Enrichment is basically training the animal’s mind to keep them thinking actively. In the wild, the food is not just on the ground, like a buffet. For example, wolves have to be active and strategically take down the prey that they are hunting by attacking in groups at the weak or sick animal. At the Zoo, the keepers are always thinking of different ways to have the animals look for their food. An animal at the Zoo could finish eating food after one hour without enrichment. With enrichment, it could take three to four hours to completely finish everything for an animal. Almost all of the animals at the San Diego Zoo are under some sort of enrichment.
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The logo of the San Diego Zoo's conservation research center features a California condor.

When we pulled into the Beckman Center for Conservation Research parking lot, one of the first things I noticed was how nicely maintained the building was. It truly shows how much money and maintenance is invested into conservation research. The San Diego Zoo feels that conservation research is extremely important, because without the awareness they raise and the effort they make, the risk of animal extinction would rise.
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We all know that the Zoo is huge! There are lots of people moving about and lots of animals to see. It seems like it’s almost impossible to see the entire Zoo in one day and see all of your favorite animals. Of course, the San Diego Zoo realizes this and has set up a bus tour system so you can see all of your favorite animals and more!

The bus tour starts from the loading dock, which is near the entrance of the Zoo. The bus is a double decker, and passengers can choose to sit either on the bottom or the top (with a nice view, I might add) and it can hold 104 passengers. The bus then goes through Tiger River, where you can see plants and animals from Southeast Asia, then goes through Ituri Forest, which is modeled after the central African rain forest (of the same name). (more…)

Just like humans, animals can get sick, too. They can contract diseases, break bones, and get scrapes and bruises, and just like humans, animals also need medical attention. But where do exotic animals, like giraffes and gazelle, go for treatment? The Paul Harter Veterinary Medical Center at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park is the answer. This animal hospital was built specifically for big birds and hoofed animals. Before the actual building was made, a team of vets went around the world looking at all different kinds of animal hospitals to see how they could make the Wild Animal Park’s hospital ideal.
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Let’s face it, we can’t all afford to go on a safari in Africa, or see the jungles of India and witness the wildlife. But luckily for us, the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park has a Photo Caravan tour where you, your friends, and family can participate in a safari for a reasonable price.
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Do you think you have what it takes to be a zookeeper?

A zookeeper’s day starts bright and early by coming into the San Diego Zoo and checking on the animals to make sure they are doing fine. Each animal has a specific diet that they have, so the zookeepers have to make sure that the animals are given the right diet. During the day, animals are put on exhibit for the public to see. Another part of a zookeeper’s job is to record how the animals are doing. This is so they can make sure the animals are doing fine, growing, and staying healthy. A zookeeper’s day does not end until all tasks are complete and the animals are doing well.
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The Rolling Safari tour at the Wild Animal Park is really fun! You get to ride around on an off-road Segway X2 with a tour guide who talks about the animals that are within view. A Segway can potentially travel at 12.5 miles per hour, but the tour speed is set to 8 miles per hour. Eight miles an hour might not seem too fast, but our group went on the tour on a day when it was 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and we didn’t even notice the heat because of how excited we were!
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