Day 5 - The Zoo Experience

The Last Day
Today was the last day of the week-long Zoo Experience camp at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo. After a morning spent with the zookeepers one last time, the four students spent the afternoon interacting with the public, sharing facts and stories about the animals.



"This past week has been a truly incredible experience and I'm extremely grateful to everyone who made this possible for us. I especially want to thank Bob, because he was always willing to share his bounty of knowledge or crack a wise joke with me." Nicole Sannes

"I am so thankful to be a part of this experience. It has been a very memorable and fun week. I wouldn't want to picture how my last full week of summer would have been without this camp. I want to give a special thanks to Bob for not only teaching us biofacts but for also laughing with us." Bibiana Castillon

"This whole week has been an amazing experience and an adventure. I want to thank the zookeepers, AAUW, the mentors, and especially Bob, who was involved in making it possible to learn and observe the normal activities that occur in the zoo." Jasmine Moreno 

"I cannot begin to express how incredible and unforgettable this experience was! Thank you so, so much to Bob and all of his keepers, the mentors and the AAUW for this amazing opportunity. This week really opened my eyes to all the possibilities out there for me to care for animals." Karly Vizzini

Zoo Curator, Bob Cisneros, welcomes visitors to the
Culmination Ceremony.

Culmination
The grand finale of the camp was the culmination ceremony. In front of a crowd of over forty people, the four young woman told the audience about their experience at the zoo, before receiving their certificate of completion.

Thank you to Maggios Pizza for providing today's lunch for the students, mentors and staff.

Thank you also to Jim & Rosemary from Audio Maverick for providing the outstanding PA system and music for the culmination ceremony.

Day 4 - The Zoo Experience

Day four for our intrepid students who carried on despite
rain, rain, and more rain. 

This is Baby, the bobcat, waiting intensely
and patiently for her food.

Happiness is Contagious
So far this week, the American Badger, Lotus Blossom, has been the animal to steal my heart. Her noticeable and happy personality makes it difficult for you not to fall in love with her.

Upon arriving at her enclosure with zookeeper Katie, Lotus greeted us by climbing on the fence and happily pacing along the fence while waiting for her food. Her happiness is contagious, which has caused me to fall in love.
Karly Vizzini

It's almost nap time for these sleepy leopards on this rainy day.

Bigger than a Cat. Smaller than a Lion

The particular habits of bobcats are very similar to a typical house cat. These animals interested me because of the specific traits they have. I have a kitten and I was able to make the connection between how they act and interact. For example, putting two bobcats together can cause them to fight with each other because they are basically solitary creatures. Also, when a bobcat rubs up on something, same as a house cat, they are claiming or marking their territory.

Jasmine Moreno

Meet Maid Marion, the female red fox at the zoo.

Steal from the Rich, Give to the Poor
Interacting with all the animals these past four days has been an incredible experience. All the animals are interesting, but the pair of red foxes are my favorite. There is a male fox named Robin, and a female named Marion. A unique fact about foxes is that they mate for life.

Even though the red foxes at the zoo are spayed and neutered, they share an intimate emotional bond with each other. Not to mention, how adorable they are!
Nicole Sannes

Sandhill cranes

I Never have a Favorite Animal

When I was younger, I could never pick a favorite animal. I thought that they all were amazing in their own ways and that stays with me today. Meeting and interacting with animals has been an experience I don't want to forget. When I was asked what was my favorite animal and why, I couldn't just pick one.

I love bears because they are so strong. I love the birds because of their calls. And it's a given that all the animals are cute. My mind kept going around like that, so I had to say that I never have had a favorite animal.

Bibiana Castillon

Thank you to the Clubhouse Grill for providing an amazing lunch to all
our students, mentors and staff. 

Day 3 - The Zoo Experience

Day Three at the Zoo Experience

Coyotes Lytic (rescued in 2005) and Simba (rescued in 2013).

Zoo Through Translation
As always, this zoo experience has taught me many new things. There was one thing that stood out to me today. As I was following Danielle, the topic of tour guides for the zoo came up. As the conversation developed, so did my interest. I have always been fascinated with languages and I aspire to be an interpreter. Knowing the importance of languages for zoo tour guides will surely stay with me as I pursue my future career.
Bibiana Castillon

This is Princess Bella, a chinchilla who was
donated to the zoo in 2011. 

The Zoo Has Changed My Life

For as long as I can remember, I've always known what I've wanted to do with my life and the career path I'd follow. But spending time here at the zoo has changed that. This internship has allowed me to learn and receive advice from people who share the same passions as myself and who work in my desired career field. The one thing that everyone keeps repeating is...get as much experience as possible. They explained that your experiences are just as important as your education. I feel truly blessed to have received this wisdom that I can apply to
my future career.

Karly Vizzini

This spotted gecko is one of the many residents of the
Reptile House at the zoo.

Meeting the Zoo "Camp Nurse"
Today, we worked with Krystal, one of the zookeepers. She is in charge of a smaller string or group of animals because she is also tasked with the medical care of all the animals as well. She is a certified vet technician, and described herself as the "camp nurse" for the zoo. It was very interesting to shadow her because of my interest in veterinary medicine. Treating zoo animals is very unique because there in not a lot of published materials on exotic animal care. There are not specific medications for different species. For example, wolves are given medication that is designed for dogs, not necessarily for wolves. Shadowing Krystal provided wonderful insight into the daily life as a veterinarian at a zoo.
Nicole Sannes

Did you know that water helps enhance
a raccoon's sense of touch?

Animals and People

There are many interesting skills you can learn while being at the zoo that you can use later in life. Imagine seeing two snow leopards at the zoo and learning that they have a genetic defect. Learning about how re-population with a genetic defect can decrease the survival rate of a wild animal was incredible.  Think about seeing bobcats, coyotes and snow leopards and noticing them doing a certain behavior, then thinking about how a zookeeper can interpret that behavior as normal or out of normal. Learning this helps me interpret how people are acting and what it might mean.

Jasmine Moreno

Thank you to Jersey Mike's for the delicious sub sandwiches for the students and staff. 

Day 2 - The Zoo Experience

The rain let up in the afternoon, so the girls were able to capture
the wonderful pictures below. Another great day at the zoo.

Canyon, the mountain lion, lives in the mountains. She was obese
due to low activity until the zoo keepers made it possible for her to
be healthier by giving her obstacles to walk, jump and explore.
Photo by Jasmine Moreno

Rain vs. Chinchillas

Did you know that being in a zoo everyday causes you to learn something new? Today, when it started raining, some of the animals such as the Arctic Fox, the San Joaquin Fox and the Chinchilla, stayed under something to keep dry. The Chinchilla especially interested me because if it gets wet it could be very hard for it to dry off due to the density of its fur. 

The difference between a Chinchilla bath and a human bath is that Chinchillas actually bathe in dirt instead of water. Bella the Chinchilla even has a specific place where she likes to roll around in the dirt to 

clean the oil from her fur.

Jasmine Moreno

This is the Chilean Rose Haired Tarantula, a native to South
America.
Photo by Bibiana Bastillon

A Recipe for Bear Chow

Combine 1 scoop kibble, 100 grams of meat, 2 oranges, 2 heads of Romaine Lettuce, 1 corn on the cob, and 1 hard-boiled egg. Mix well.

For Holly, Huckleberry, and Zuni, this is their average breakfast, with various veggies throw in on Tuesdays. Each of these bears have their own buckets for this food concoction. Today, I was responsible for measuring the meat and making sure all the ingredients made their way into all the buckets. 

Doing this for the bears made me feel like a cook, a weird one at that. You usually don't add raw meat to a dish, but the bears didn't seem to mind.

Bibiana Bastillon

Kite is one of three American Kestrels at the zoo and
is the smallest of North American falcons.
Photo by Karly Vizzi

A Pigeon Goes to Rehab

One of the focuses here at the zoo is rehabilitation. Today I got a little taste of that. While shadowing zoo tech, Krystal, she got called to check out an injured pigeon that was dropped off at the zoo. 

We took it into a room and Crystal examined the wing that was injured. I was able to help out by lining the cage with newspaper so that the bird could rest until further examination. It was very fascinating to witness the rehabilitation aspect of the zoo that not many get to witness.

Karly Vizzini

Cyrus, the snowy owl, is diurnal. He is active during
the day and night. Photo by Nicole Sannes

A Balanced "Diet"

At the zoo, our mornings are dedicated to shadowing the zookeepers. Today, my mentor and I went with Katie, who gave us a tour of her "string" or section of animals, and then took us to the feed room. 

Inside the feed room, Katie allowed me to help her make the "diet", which are the daily meals for the animals. This was a unique experience because I made several animal meals, with the guidance and help of Katie. When we were finished, Katie took us up to watch her feed Lotus Blossom, the American Badger. 

I loved watching the badger become excited by the food that I had prepared for her that morning.

Nicole Sannes

Thank you to La Bamba Mexican Restaurant and Nuevo Vallarta Grill for supplying delicious burritos for our students and staff. 

Day 1 - The Zoo Experience

Rain didn't stop our four Zoo Camp participants from
enjoying their first day at the zoo.

Photo by Nicole Sannes

 A Furry First Impression
The first day at the zoo camp exceeded every expectation. Our zookeepers, Paula and Ashley, were very thorough in their explanations and open to questions and discussion. My mentor and I met Aurora, the arctic fox, and Kit-Kat, the kit fox. To watch the keepers feed and interact with the animals was unique and exciting, and I am very excited for the upcoming days I will be spending at the zoo!
Nicole Sannes

Photo by Karly Vizzini

At Home at the Zoo

The first day of camp can be nerve wracking, but today I've never felt more at home. This quint little zoo has so much to offer...not just to the public but for the animals as well. I look forward to continuing to learn about these animals and the care they receive, as the week goes on.

Karly Vizzini 

Photo by
Bibiana Castillon

Expectations Blown Out of the Water
The zoo camp wasn't how I originally expected it to be. I thought we wouldn't be too involved with the behind-the-scene process. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I expected. You can imagine my pleasant surprise when I walked in and was told what we would be doing... going behind-the-scenes with the zookeepers. My expectations were blown out of the water and I'm glad they were. I just know that tomorrow will be just as amazing.
Bibiana Castillon

Photo by Jasmine Moreno

Baby and Shakespeare
Today's experience was unexpected because of all that I learned on the first day. After the bobcats were secured in a separate enclosure, I was able to go inside Baby and Shakespeare's enclosure with the zookeeper, to help pick and choose where to put their enrichment. (Which was the scent of  cinnamon.) I learned how the zookeepers must be very precise about how they keep the animals engaged and how they are fed. Placing the bobcat enrichment was exciting because it was new and very different from anything I have ever done.

Jasmine Moreno

Thank you to Mountain Munchies for providing lunch today for the mentors and students. 

Meet the Zoo Experience Students

Beginning Monday, July 22nd, four students will arrive at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo for the start of the second annual, week-long Zoo Experience camp. Each day, the students, accompanied by an AAUW mentor, will learn the ins and outs of animal care at our Zoo, as they go behind the scene with zookeepers, learn about bio facts from zoo curator, Bob Cisneros, and then brush up on their photography and writing skills with a professional journalist. At the end of each day, the students will share their experiences and their photos on this blog site.

Let's meet our four amazing young women and learn why they wanted to participate in the Zoo Experience.

Karly Vizzini

Yucaipa High School student Karly Vizzini wanted to participate in the program because she wants to be a zoo veterinarian. "I hope to learn what it is like to work in a zoo environment and to take care of animals. I think zoos are important because not only do they care for animals but also provide interaction between humans and animals that most people would not be able to have.

Jasmine Esperanza Moreno

Big Bear High School student, Jasmine Esperanza Moreno wanted to participate to learn something new. "I hope to learn more about the animals that live around me. I also hope to learn more about the Big Bear Zoo and how the zoo helps injured animals and what the process is. I hope to expand my love for the animals as I learn more about them. I like that our zoo helps hurt animals and helps heal the animals so they can go back home. I also like that the zoo keeps animals that can no longer fend for themselves."

Bibian Castillon

Big Bear High School student, Bibian Castillon wanted to participate because she loves animals and wants to learn more about them. "I want to learn how to take care of different animals and how they act. I also want to be able to work on being less introverted. I think working with people will help. I have always loved animals and I'd like to have a profession where I can help them."

Nicole Marie Sannes

Big Bear High School student, Nicole Marie Sannes wanted to participate because this was an incredible opportunity to work with exotic animals. "I'm planning on pursuing a career in veterinarian medicine, so I am hoping to learn if I have an interest in specializing in exotic animals. I love that our Zoo is a rescue for animals with the main focus being on rehabilitation and care. Zoos are incredibly important to conserve, protect and care for a variety of animals."