The Keepers and the Kept

Zoos and aquariums have evolved enormously over the past few decades, with tremendous changes being implemented in every aspect of animal care, from exhibit design to training to nutrition. The best of American zoos today bear almost no resemblance to the Victorian-era menageries of the turn of the last century.  The primary mission of recreation has been replaced with the ideals of promoting conservation, education, and appreciation of the natural world.

One thing that has not changed - and probably never will - is that there are people who do not like zoos.  To them, zoos will always be synonymous with "prison."  There is an element of truth to it - zoos are, by their definition, places of confinement.   Traditionally, that took place behind heavy iron bars, not unlike a jail cell.  The image has stuck.  Not matter how big or spacious the enclosure is, many visitors - even ones who enjoy the zoo immensely - still refer to the habitats as "cages."

So what makes a zoo NOT a jail?  After careful consideration, I've decided on an answer.  It's the same answer that really sums up almost all of the miraculous changes that have taken place at zoos over the past several years.

The keepers.

A keeper trains a gray seal during a demonstration at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo

A zoo's budget is very important.  So is its size and its physical campus.  It is influenced tremendously by the local climate, as well as the local community and the degree to which they support the zoo.  In the end, however, I am convinced that the single most important factor that will make or break a zoo and define the quality of animal care is the keeping staff.

No prison guard, as some critics would smugly refer to us as, would spend weeks painstakingly trying to devise toys and puzzle feeders and other enrichment that make an animal's day.  Or obsess over finding out what each animal's favorite food is so you can give them a treat on their birthday (which, let's be honest, the animals don't even recognize as a thing).  Keepers ride out fires and floods and blizzards and hurricanes to protect their charges.  They cry at deaths and transfers - and cry just as hard (but with pride) when a new baby is born, or when an animal learns a new trained behavior.  When our animals cross the county to go from zoo to zoo, we stay in touch with them, communicating constantly with each other to make sure that "our babies" are settling in okay in their new homes.  And in this way, we become a community.

A keeper tries (and apparently fails) not to play favorites as she holds court with the penguins at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium

It's been said that teaching is the only job on earth where people steal supplies from home to bring to work.  Maybe it's one of only two.  The second would be animal keeper.  Keepers, who are paid very little (especially keeping in mind the educational and experience requirements to get a job at many facilities) are enormously devoted to their work.  Many put in lots of unpaid overtime (in addition to the second or third jobs they may have to let them fulfill their dreams).  Many still find a way to chip in extra money to contribute to conservation projects abroad.  And most that I've met are unfailingly selfless in their devotion to their animals, and still find time to open up a little of their world to a member of the public who genuinely seems to care about the animals too.  I can't count the number of keepers I've met who have a common "origin story" - a moment of kindness or a special encounter with a zookeeper when they were younger, which changed the trajectory of their own lives.

Sunday was the start of National Zookeeper Week.  The week got off to a bit of a rough start as our community is still reeling from the tragedy in New Orleans.  We're keeping our friends at Audubon in our hearts and minds as they go through this difficult period.  But that's part of what makes zookeepers special.  We're not just there for the animals.  We're there for each other as well.