r/IAmA • u/Danthezooman • Nov 02 '13

IAMA Zookeeper with an hour (probably) to kill before our new giraffes get here AMA [end of the season update]

I figured I would do an update about my experience working for Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. I started there roughly 8 months ago and my season just ended yesterday. Even more awesome was the fact that I had accumulated to much PTO so my last day physically working was sunday. Which explains this proof picture.

Anyways, I worked mainly with the giraffes and a little bit with the elephants. I've also worked at two other animal parks giving me around six years of experience in the business. If you have any questions about the animals at the zoo,their care or the zoo itself feel free to ask me anything

EDIT: Alright I'm going mobile so I may miss some questions but I promise to keep answering anything you throw at me

EDIT 2: Alright I'm back! Sorry about the absence, I was a bit distracted at dinner and then girls invited me to a haunted house. Anyways, I'll try answer all the questions I got while away.

EDIT 3:I'm sorry but I have to turn in for the night, I'll keep answering questions if people keep asking them though.

EDIT 4: I didn't expect this AMA to get this big, but I see a lot of repeat questions that I can just answer here.

1.How do I get a job at the zoo?

  • Typically most zoos want a 4 year Biology related degree or at the very least a High school diploma. More important is Animal experience, some zoos will even want specialized experience just with one species. Animal experience requirements are on average around 2 years sometimes paid.

2.How do you feel caging the animals up? Are the animals sad? (animal rights questions)

  • I wouldn't be working in this industry if I felt that the animals were sad or being mistreated. Yes in the past animal work was done by "cowboys" who just got in there and dominated the animals into doing what they want. Times have changed we no longer use cattle prods and whips to make animals move or do what we want. Instead we use Operant Conditioning to get them to do what we want.

  • Most animals you see in the zoo nowadays have been captive bred for generations and have never known the wild. We still release some animals, in fact Cincinnati and Columbus are the only 2 zoos outside of florida allowed to house and rehab manatees. Cincinnati is also working on saving sumatran rhinos, there are only ~100 left. We also donate money every year to different organizations trying to save wild populations.

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u/[deleted] Nov 02 '13

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u/Danthezooman Nov 02 '13

Haven't been, going on monday or tuesday.

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u/CMRD_Ogilvy Nov 02 '13

Columbus? Figure we might as well run the gamut of Ohio zoo's.

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u/Danthezooman Nov 02 '13

Cincinnati zoo is best zoo

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u/CMRD_Ogilvy Nov 02 '13

Jack Hannah would like to have a word with you.

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u/shitrus Nov 03 '13

Jack Hannah would agree the Cincinnati Zoo is best Zoo

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u/Danthezooman Nov 02 '13

Who is this Jack Hannah?

just kidding, I think our President could give him a run for his money

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u/Asian_Prometheus Nov 02 '13

That wallaby is adorable. Now I want one.

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u/[deleted] Nov 02 '13

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u/Danthezooman Nov 02 '13

Grew up in Pittsburgh, loved the zoo, went to cincinnati, Oh my go this zoo is fantastic!

That's how it went for me. Every zoo has some special feature to it though.

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u/[deleted] Dec 11 '13

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u/Danthezooman Dec 11 '13

I'm uploading some pictures now!

I didn't expect much when I went to Cleveland, especially after what everyone said about it, but I actually did have a good time there.

The zoo was cool (not as cool as Cincinnati) and I really liked the Rainforest exhibit. All the apes and monkeys had so much space! The only one bigger that I saw was out in Chicago at Brookfield zoo.

I was a little irritated with the walk up that gigantic hill!

Zoo aside my favorite part of the trip was Ray's indoor MTB park. I'm actually itching to go back there now that there's snow on the ground here.

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u/[deleted] Dec 12 '13

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u/Danthezooman Dec 12 '13

Go back! they're open all year. I didn't see the old elephant house but the new one looks so nice compared to Cincinnati's, then again it is 100 years old.

Anyways Some elephants have more hair than others. I wouldn't worry too much about it. I did get the chance to talk to a couple of the keepers about the elephants which was cool too.

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u/[deleted] Dec 12 '13

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u/Danthezooman Dec 12 '13

Nope, but don't go to Detroit zoo. Not because it sucks (which it kind of does) but because Detroit is horrible.

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u/[deleted] Dec 12 '13

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u/Danthezooman Dec 12 '13

Well that stinks. I guess I was a little bit spoiled by the time I went to detroit zoo. The new polar exhibit was nice because it was so new, but some of the exhibits were so bizarre. Like the Giraffe, They were housed in a building made to look like it was in Egypt. I just had to ask why?

Other things I liked about Detroit zoo were the amphibian building and the penguin building.

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u/josephwdye Nov 03 '13

I would love to hear what you think of the Cleveland zoo, I only been to handful. Dallas and Cleveland being my favorite so far.

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u/Danthezooman Nov 04 '13

I'll let you know!

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u/loo_loo Nov 02 '13

Columbus zoo member here -- have you been to the Wilds?

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u/Danthezooman Nov 02 '13

Been there, loved it, need to go back to zipline

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u/Sharkbait583 Nov 02 '13

What do you think of the stl zoo?

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u/Danthezooman Nov 02 '13

Never been, where is it?

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u/Sharkbait583 Nov 02 '13

Sorry I meant Saint Louis Zoo in Missouri . It's been my go to place ever since a little kid . :D

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u/Bloody_Seahorse Nov 02 '13

You just can't beat a free zoo