Last substantial entry I wrote, the turnover process on our animals was in full swing. Now, we have a whole entire summer with our furry/feathery/scaly babies under our belts and we are really truly in charge of our creatures. Summer was much more laid back than the rest of first year. We only had one lecture class that took place Wednesday evenings so our zoo time was open for training, shows, and bonding with our animals. There's really no good way to make this a concise entry, as it was a busy and fun-filled summer, but there are lots of pictures ahead to break up the wall of text!
So without further ado, the highlights:
1. Junior Safari! Over the summer we have week-long camps during which kids get a chance to experience what it's like to be a zookeeper and to learn a little bit about wildlife and the animal industry. We had groups of kiddos running around the zoo every day, and while it could get a little hectic at times it was definitely a fun experience. Their counselors were in charge of keeping them entertained throughout the day, but as keepers we had to do our part in taking animals out, doing training demonstrations, and helping out with the big show at the end of the week.
2. Primate Class! One of the best parts of summer semester is all the field trips we get to take for our Primate Behavior class. We went to Animal Guys, an outreach company; the Gibbon Conservation Center; the Los Angeles Zoo; the Wildlife Waystation, which is a HUGE wildlife sanctuary; Universal Studios to see their Animal Actors show; and believe it or not, the Playboy Mansion! We also had an amazing opportunity to go see the circus for free. I had the best experiences on these field trips, so here's some photos to give you an idea of what it was like!
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| We camped out all night at the Gibbon Center to hear them all call at dawn! |
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| Class photo outside the playboy mansion :) |
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This big guy was out for a walk when we went to the Wildlife Waystation. |
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| We went to the Circus!! |
3. Training Class: For the first time, my fellow first years and I got to experience what it was like to train an animal for a grade. I decided to train Miki, the orange-winged Amazon Parrot, and James the donkey. It was a huge learning process and a big challenge, but it was an amazing experience! I'll post a big update with more details soon!
4. My first trip home! I finally got a whole week off to spend back in Chicago with people I love. It was amazing to be back in such a familiar place and I hated having to leave again. Only a couple more months until I get to come home for Christmas!
That's all I've got for summer, stay tuned for training updates!
