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."

Four Students for 2019 Zoo Experience Selected

This summer, four students have been selected to attend the second annual Zoo Experience STEM program at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo. Three Big Bear High School students, Bibiana Castillon, Jasmin Moreno, and Nicole Sannes, plus Yucaipa High School student, Karly Vizzini, will participate in this one-week, internship-style camp to take place July 22nd – July 26th, which coincides with National Zookeepers' Week. During the camp, these four young women will have the opportunity to work with zookeepers, learn animal science, develop public speaking skills, as well as writing a daily blog, which will be illustrated with their photography.

Zoo Experience mentors Cherlye Potter, Terry Gold,
Linda Quiroz, Marianne Lins.

“The Zoo Experience” program seeks to break through barriers for women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and math, while exposing them to careers in the field of zoological sciences. Currently, women account for only a minority of managerial positions in zoos. AAUW is dedicated to inspiring women to become leaders and opening their minds to STEM fields that they may have not considered as viable careers.

The community is invited to “tag along” by checking out the daily blog posts from the young women July 22nd – July 26th, after 6 pm each day. The public is also invited to the Culmination Event on Friday, July 26th, from 3 to 4 pm at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo. Zoo admission is required, so come early, or stay late to enjoy the Zoo as well.

Zoo Experience Committee - Christie Walker, Jana Bryant,
Beth Meyer, Jill Myers, Marianne Lins.

Christie Walker, Alpine Zoo Curator,
Bob Cisneros, Jill Myers.

The Inaugural Zoo Experience was a Success

Over fifty guests including local dignitaries, school board members, zoo staff, parents and friends attended the culmination ceremony of The Zoo Experience, a one-week, internship-style day camp which was held July 16th – 20th at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo.

Big Bear High School students Melissa Ellis and Kelly Mount spent the week working behind-the-scenes with zookeepers in the morning, giving presentations to zoo guests on various animals in the afternoon, and then wrote a blog each day illustrated with their own photographs, chronicling their experience.

“This has been one of the best weeks of my entire life,” said Kelly Mount on her last day of The Zoo Experience program. “I don’t want this week to be over. I learned so much about each animal and so much about the zookeepers and what they do every day. I honestly want to do something this important sometime in the future.”

The brainchild of Big Bear Alpine Zoo curator, Bob Cisneros, Cisneros approached the president of the local Big Bear Valley American Association of University Women (AAUW) about partnering on a special program for Big Bear high school girls in 2017. Cisneros and members of AAUW worked for months creating the inaugural program. Cisneros was pleased with the outcome of The Zoo Experience.

“Every day, zoos all over the country make it their mission to connect people to wildlife,” explained Cisneros. “The “Zoo Experience” took our zoo’s mission and expanded upon it in a most profound way. An immersion experience at the zoo gave two young women entering their senior year in high school a week’s worth of epiphanies. The science behind what we do in zoos as well as the emphasis that we place on conservation education made our collaboration with AAUW a perfect partnership.”

Cisneros wasn’t the only one happy with The Zoo Experience. "We are very pleased with the meaningful impact that The Zoo Experience STEM camp had on our students,” said Jill Myers, AAUW director, The Zoo Experience. “The students came away with a clear picture and understanding of the complex environment and the many career paths in the zoological sciences."

But the person who has summed up the experience best was Zoo Experience participant, Melissa Ellis. “This whole week was one of the most amazing and insightful weeks of my life. This experience has been filled with so much valuable information, which I'll be able to use when considering my future profession,” said Ellis. “I wish my week at the zoo wasn’t over, but I hope that this first Zoo Experience has set a good foundation for the lucky girls who will get to participate in the years to come.”

AAUW, whose mission it is to advance equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research, has created this unique program in conjunction with the Big Bear Alpine Zoo and has sponsored the two, high school junior girls. With the success of the 2018 Zoo Experience program, plans are already shaping up for 2019, with next year’s program scheduled to take place at the new zoo.

The Zoo Experience Day Five

Jill Myers, The Zoo Experience Director, Melissa Ellis,
Bob Cisneros, Zoo Curator, Kelly Mount, and Christie Walker, The Zoo Experience Asst. Director

MY ZOO EXPERIENCE

This has been one of the best weeks of my entire life. I have loved everything about this program. It was amazing how we were able to follow our zookeepers almost everywhere they went. When you watch them work, you can definitely tell how much they care about the animals. I’ve noticed that everyone that works at the zoo knows what they’re doing and they never make a mistake. 

Kelly Mount

I don’t want this week to be over. I learned so much about each animal and so much about all of the zookeepers and what they do every day. I honestly want to do something this important sometime in the future.

Kelly Mount

Lotus Blossom is a female badger. She was rescued in 2005
at one-year-old. She was found on the side of the road and
was hand-raised. Photo by Kelly Mount

HOW THIS EXPERIENCE CHANGED MY LIFE

Melissa Ellis

This whole week was one of the most amazing and insightful weeks of my life. This experience has been filled with so much valuable information, which I'll be able to use when  considering my future profession. 

As I’ve said before, I have wanted to be a veterinarian since I was very little and now this program has opened my eyes to the world of zoology and being a zookeeper, which has been very beneficial to me. The program has allowed me to highly consider the field of zoology as a profession.

Luna is a female ringtail cat that was rescued in 2011.
Photo by Melissa Ellis

I wish my week at the zoo wasn’t over but I hope that this first Zoo Experience has set a good foundation for the lucky girls who will get to participate in the years to come.

Melissa Ellis

Thank you Village Pizza for providing lunch for the students, mentors and staff. 

Melissa and Kelly having a "beary" good
time at the first annual Zoo Experience.

The Zoo Experience Day Four

I HAVE TO RAKE???

Have you ever been excited to rake stuff up or collect tree branches? Well I never thought I would answer yes to that question but today changed my mind. I was able to help collect branches for the grizzly bears' enrichment along with gathering rocks where we could hide their food. This allows them to use their problem-solving skills to sniff out and find their food. 

Cascade the mountain lion was rescued
at 4-weeks-old with her sister Canyon
 after their mother was sadly killed.
 Photo by Melissa Ellis

I also was able to rake inside of the bear den and bobcat habitat, while the animals were safely in their holding areas. It was very interesting to help the animals in this way and clean up their habitats. I also enjoyed being close enough to the mountain lions to hear them meow and purr just like a domestic house cat. It was incredible to see how docile Bailey the mule deer was and how curious he is. 

Aurora Borealis is an arctic fox who was rescued in 2012.
Photo by Melissa Ellis

I can’t believe I was so happy to be working and raking but my love for the animals and being able to improve their habitats in this way made it completely worth it to me.

Melissa Ellis

WHAT IS MY FAVORITE ANIMAL?

Ever since I first came to the zoo I’ve always loved the snowy owl, Cyrus. I remember the first time I saw him...I immediately fell in love. It was my freshmen year in high school, and I decided to do a research paper on snowy owls. I came to the Big Bear Alpine Zoo to find more information about this type of owl. Every since that first visit, the zoo has just been getting better and better for me.

Tutu is a grizzly bear that ave birth to Ayla and Harley.
She was born in 1984 and rescued in 1996.
Photo by Kelly Mount

By participating in The Zoo Experience, I’ve learned how the zookeepers care for Cyrus along with the other animals. The zookeepers clean, feed, and enrich the animals' senses. The zookeepers make boxes and other things filled with treats for the animals to problem-solve. They also play different sounds and give them things that normally wouldn’t be in their diets or natural habitats to see how they will react and nurture their natural curiosity.

Kelly Mount

Pippin is a male red fox born in 2007.
Photo by Kelly Mount.

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

The Zoo Experience Day Three

Melissa and her mentor, Lindy, Kelly and her mentor, Linda.

DO YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC TO WORK AT THE ZOO?

Cascade is a female mountain lion. Her and her sister,
Canyon, were rescued at about four weeks old after their mother was killed.
They were hand-raised and imprinted on humans. Photo by Kelly Mount.

Today at the zoo, Melissa and I interacted with the public for over an hour. Melissa and I spoke with the guests while we were doing our bio facts work. We mostly talked to kids that were interested in the felid skulls. Felids are cats, such as mountain lions, bobcats, and snow leopards. We were able to learn where some guests were from and they learned more about the animals.

Cyrus is male snowy owl. He was rescued in
in 2007. He can not return to the wild because
he had a major wing injury, which led to his
 wing being amputated. Photo by Kelly Mount

We also watched the zookeepers and interns give presentations. We watched a presentation on the snow leopards. Summer, the lead zookeeper at the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, and Kat, an intern, gave the presentation. They answered questions and gave information, but they didn’t just throw facts at you. Everything was very fluid, and they both knew what they were talking about. I hope that I can become that good at speaking and make it part of my future career.

Kelly Mount

ENRICHMENT ALLOWS ANIMALS TO DISPLAY NATURAL BEHAVIORS

Shakespeare is a male bobcat that was born in 2012 and
was rescued from two dogs who trapped him in a yard.
Photo by Melissa Ellis

My amazing day today consisted of making enrichment boxes for many of the animals. Enrichment boxes are very useful in zoos because it allows the animal to display natural behaviors that they would perform in the wild. It also lets them problem solve. Problem solving with these boxes includes the animals being able to think of ways to open the box to get to the food, and allows them to use foraging skills and their sense of smell along with other natural behaviors.

I had the opportunity to make these boxes for two of the raccoons and the black bears along with helping with coyotes and big cat enrichment boxes. Today was the most fun day I’ve had so far this week with all of the hands-on activities I was able to experience.

Melissa Ellis

Barbie is a female Great Horned Owl who was rescued in 1997,
with a wing damaged by barbed wire. Photo by Melissa Ellis

Thank you to Gaby's Latin Flavors for providing lunch to the students, mentors and staff.

The Zoo Experience Day Two

Melissa, Big Bear Alpine Zoo curator, Bob Cisneros, and Kelly
with items from today's bio facts box.

BIO FACTS, MEALS AND SPECIAL GUESTS

Two of the coyotes were rescued after being kept as illegal pets
and the other coyote here was rescued near death at
only a few weeks old, due to multiple problems.
Photo by Melissa Ellis

Did you know that wolves are able to glide over snow due to a more even distribution of their weight on each of their paws? This allows them to catch up to animals such as deer who have hooves that sink into snow. This sinking causes them to lift their legs high in order to escape, which takes a lot more work than gliding like the wolves do. Learning this was the most interesting part of today, along with being able to educate zoo guests using this information and more from our bio facts lesson. Today we focused on canids, which include wolves, foxes, and many other canines. We showed the guests different paw prints and canid skulls while also sharing the importance of their jaws and paws while hunting.

Noelle, is a female wolf, born at the zoo in 2009.
Photo by Melissa Ellis

In the morning I was able to watch the many animal diets being prepared, which was very cool because of the variation in each animal’s diet. One of the diets consisted of this special meat mixture that they feed to the carnivores. This mixture has a large variety of all the proteins that they require in their diet. After this I was able to see a skunk named Manson who is gentle, crate trained, and currently being trained for other behaviors.

Today was filled with many different experiences including an amazing talk with two San Diego zookeepers, learning about bio facts, and seeing all the different diets for the animals.
Melissa Ellis

TRAINING DOGS IS DIFFERENT FROM TRAINING ZOO ANIMALS

Blair is a male wolf, born at the zoo in 2009.
Photo by Kelly Mount

This morning, Melissa and I, along with the rest of the zookeepers, watched a presentation by two San Diego Zoo zookeepers, Nicky Boyd, curator behaviorist husbandry, and Kim Caldwell, animal trainer supervisor. This presentation was about how to train the zoo animals. These women talked about positive and negative reinforcement and different ways to train animals besides using food. For example, instead of just hitting a dog on the nose when it goes to bite, the zookeepers want to move away from these habits. If an animal does something wrong, the zookeeper will stop what they’re doing and move onto the next command. This is safer for the animals and the keepers. Instead of using food like you might for a dog, the zookeepers will use targeting. Targeting is when you give the animal something and you put a target for the animal to go to.

Speedy, a male tortoise, was born 1994, and donated to the zoo in 2002.
Photo by Kelly Mount

The zookeepers from San Diego also talked about how the animals need to trust their zookeepers and vice versa. When working with my zookeeper for the day, Ashley, she talked about how there were some animals that she’d love to have a better connection with and to have them trust her more. I believe that the two zookeepers from the San Diego Zoo helped Ashley learn how to get a better connection with the animals she works with daily.
KellyMount

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