Zookeeper's Lounge

well im volunteering at the columbus zoo again this summer and last thursday was my first day of the season. it was enrichment day (where they have displays of different animal toys and such and give special things to the animals) and it was completely packed (i have a feeling they could have a record attendace this year but i dont know if they can beat the year they had the giant pandas). the day started out rather strangly (we just got a new office and we took an old coke cooler from the education dept. (on the other side of the zoo)to use as a fridge. On the way out with the huge cooler our supervisor who was piloting the dolly with the cooler punched a small hole in the door of the docent office and then nearly dropped it on the way to the office. luckily it was very early so there were only 100 or so people in the zoo but it was still quite difficult. after that i worked at a few enrichment stations telling guests about the animal toys and other treats which got a little boring (but we got free drinks and cookies ) but from some tables i could watch animals (like the out of place reindeer on the african savannah ) hopefully this year will turn out as fun as the last

Wow, that sounds like fun! That is really great that you are doing such a thing. Do you get to work with the animals directly at all?

well sorry ive been a month in reolying but its been 3 months since ive been able to access this site at home (that post was from my moms work computer) we do get to work with many small animals directly (feeding, cleaning up after and handling) especially the show animals including large and small snakes turtles and lizards as well as rats, suger gliders, rabbits, opposums, prarie dogs, and a few birds) we also get to observe many of the other animals and answer guests questions about them (i "specialize" in gorillas) . it is all very fun and you have many neat experiences (i met a man who was seeing Colo (the first gorilla born in captivity) for his second time, the first being when he was in 4th grade about 1957 when she was around a year old and she is now nearly 48)

Good for you Okapi, for volenteering! There's a place called Hope for Horses, and I wanna volenteer, but you have to be 18! But again, good for you!