Mary J. Wilson of the Baltimore Zoo, Rest in Peace

It's been a pretty rare moment over the course of the last three months when Coronavirus hasn't been near the front of my mind.  There have been so many things to worry about - economic fallout, job security, stability of the zoo, transmission to zoo animals, conservation impacts, cancelled plans (both personal and professional) - that sometimes I overlook the big picture.  That COVID-19 is a dangerous disease, and that it takes lives - over 100,000 in the United States already.

Among them was Mary J. Wilson, the first African-American keeper at The Baltimore Zoo, today's Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.  Ms. Wilson was a true pioneer in the field, starting in an era when zookeeping was definitely seen as a man's job.  Today our professional demographics are much shifted towards women, though African-Americans still remain highly underrepresented in zookeeping. 

By all accounts, Ms. Wilson was a fantastic keeper, both in terms of the care that she provided her animals (once offering to take a nursing infant primate with her on her days off so it wouldn't miss her) and for the mentoring that she provided her younger colleagues, some of whom are still in the field today.  That fact that she was able to achieve such a senior position despite the biases of the time speaks even more to her skill, professionalism, and determination.

Condolences to her family and friends during this hard time.

Mary J. Wilson, first African-American senior zookeeper at the Baltimore Zoo, dies of the coronavirus