Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

Peering into the extremely large enclosure, I was able to see the majestic raptor known as the harpy eagle. This particular Harpy eagle was perched on a branch right next to the barrier that separated me and the beautiful creature; it then turned to observe my group and me because of the animal keeper’s whistle. Its big black intelligent eyes curiously looked at us (or at least it felt that way), and all I could do was stare back at the creature in absolute awe. For some reason the raptors radical claws did not hinder its appearance of being adorable its huge eyes and smooth grey feathers that came off of its head in all directions made it so gorgeous. The harpy eagle was just so amazing; I could barely take my eyes off of it. But then I realized that this beautiful creature is endangered in its home range of Central and South America, and all I could think was how sad it is.

So rewind a little bit, earlier the zoo keeper told us that right now he is working with the birds at the zoo and how much he enjoys it. Mr. Josh Zelt also explained that his job requires that he prepare food, observe the animals, and care for the animals. It is also his job to see what are ideal breeding conditions for the animals in his care.

So by finding the ideal breeding conditions for the animals, it is possible to breed animals and maybe eventually release them into the wild. Then by keeping studbooks they are able to keep track of all the genetics that the zoos are breeding, in order to keep genetic diversity and prevent the species from becoming bottlenecked. Breeding the animals is not the only important factor in repopulating a species though. If an animal is going to be released from the safety of the Zoo, the keepers and conservation teams have to be sure it will survive in the habitat. The animals are raised so they don’t imprint on humans or . The habitats that the animals will be returned to will also not be cut down or destroyed. There are many different aspects of repopulating species. So here is yet another example of how it takes many different people with many different jobs to repopulate and conserve a species.

Kate, Conservation Team

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