Jennifer Boone Shares What Life as a Keeper is Like
National Zoo Keeper Week 2018
Wednesday, July 18, 2018 written by Jennifer Boone and photographed by Mika Miller
Hi everyone! My name is Jenn, and I am an Endotherm Keeper here at the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium! An endotherm, is a fancy way of saying we take care of all the warm blooded animals, birds, and mammals at the Aquarium. I’ve been working here for over a year and a half and I’ve been having a blast! The staff – both humans and animals – have become family to me. As a keeper, my job allows me to work with some of the greatest animals ever! However, taking care of the animals is only one part of my job, I also get to help with exhibit upkeep, diet preparation, veterinarian procedures, and conservation efforts all around the world. In honor of National Zookeeper Week, I am so excited to share with you what I get to do every day, and why I am so passionate about the animals we have here.
When I get to work in the South America hall, my day usually begins with doing a walk-through to check on all the animals. We have such a variety that every animal has to be accounted for, even the small birds that fly around the habitat. After doing my morning rounds, I get to work feeding and cleaning. Cleaning requires everything from scooping feces, hosing down floors, scrubbing, and even wiping down plants. One of the coolest parts of the whole South America exhibit is that all the plants you see around you are completely real! We have two awesome horticulturists, Nate and Hector, who take care of all the plants around the facility and really make our habitats feel more natural.
After cleaning and feeding, it is off to wash dishes and start diets. Depending on the day, diets can take upwards of two hours to make. Each species of animal requires their own diet suited for their needs and some of our animals are fed up to three times a day. Once our diets are done, we can then start training. You will also find we take our parrots out into South America to let them interact with guests and to stimulate their minds with all sorts of new sights and sounds. When the day is ending, we do another walk around to check on animals and then finally feed them their evening diets.
Along with the Journey to South America exhibit, and the Mountain America Credit Union Penguin Research Station, I also work in the Expedition: Asia exhibits. Expedition Asia is divided into two sections. Our Asian mammals, which consist of Clouded leopards, Binturongs, and Asian small-clawed otters, and our Asia birds, which are a variety of birds found from parts of Southeast Asia. When you visit, you can often find the keepers inside the exhibits cleaning or training.
You may have even seen some trainers out on exhibit working with our female Clouded leopard, Rhu. This enrichment is very beneficial in being able to maintain a great relationship with her and allows us to be hands-on when the vet comes to visit. One of my favorite facts about the Clouded leopards are their ability to “chuff.” Because they are considered a part of the big cat family, they do not possess the right anatomy to purr like a house cat, so instead, when they are happy, they let out a cheerful puff sound that lets others know they are content and happy to see them.
Thank you for following along with my Keeper Takeover!
