Six Degrees of Separation

I have no idea if people still play this, but for a while there was a game that movie-lovers enjoyed called Six Degrees of Separation.  The idea was that every actor and actress in Hollywood could, with only six links, be connected to Kevin Bacon.  Actor A stared in a movie with Actress B, who was in another movie with Actress C, who was in a third movie with Actor D, who appeared in a movie with Bacon, or something like that.

Without too much trouble, I could probably make a zoo equivalent.  Actually, I could probably make two zoo equivalents - one for keepers and one for animals.  

The zookeeper community is far flung, but there tends to be a lot of movement within it.  Job openings can be few and far between, especially if you have a somewhat specialized position.  Also, if you want to move up the ranks, it often requires you to take a leap of faith and go for a job at a different zoo.  Once there, you will meet other keepers, some of them certain to leave and take jobs somewhere else.  One of the advantages is that, wherever you go in the country, you're bound to know someone.  It's always fun to chat with a friend at another zoo, realize we share an acquaintance, and then piece back together how we both now that person.

Likewise with the animals.  You may get a male in from one zoo and a female in from another.  They breed and have offspring, some of which may go on to other zoos upon reaching maturity.  Often, I've been at a conference of workshop when someone mentions an animal at their zoo by name, only for a keeper at another zoo to overhear them and light up.  "Oh, [animal's name]!  I know him, he was born at my zoo!"

Of course, all of these animal exchanges also build ties between keepers and different facilities, adding more strands to the web.  Many of the people that I've met at other facilties I've met through transactions, or while checking up on animals that I used to care for.

So forget Kevin Bacon - at this point I might only need three or four degrees of separation of be connected to most of the zoo folks - and animals - in the country.  And the great thing is, every year I get to throw out a few new strands of the web.