One of the best things about being a zookeeper is that there are people in every city and state sharing your profession, people that you can relate to and connect with. It makes for a lot of fun when you are traveling, as there is always someone you can meet up with. One of the downsides is that it means that when there is a tragedy somewhere, there's a decent chance that people you know - some of them friends of long-standing - may be in harm's way.
When Hurricanes Harvey and Irma struck, I thought of friends working at Houston Zoo and Zoo Miami, just as I thought of my friends at Audubon Zoo and Aquarium in the wake of Katrina. In the aftermath of yesterday's deadly tragedy, I thought of Las Vegas.
It's not just that the horrific shooting occurred in Las Vegas... it's that it occurred in Mandalay Bay, which is also the home of the Shark Reef Aquarium. I can't imagine how terrible it must be to have something this evil, this tragic happen at your place of work - a place that you love and care about, now associated forevermore with the worst mass shooting in American history. Imagine what it would feel like to come to work the next day, or the day after, for the rest of your career.
Thankfully, none of Shark Reef's staff were harmed in the attack. But that doesn't mean that they are all okay. I hope that they - and all others affected by this terrible, terrible crime - find whatever comfort and peace that they can.
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