Dirty Jobs

I made a career-long pledge to never be embarrassed about the dirty parts of the job - and believe me, there have been some dirty parts.  I've gotten spider monkey poop in my hair, bear poop down the back of my shirt (don't ask), bird poop in my mouth, and those are just some of the poop stories.  I won't even get in pee, blood, vomit, and the revolting, vomit-inducing mess that is Nebraska Bird of Prey diet mixed with diced capelin after it's been sitting out overnight during a rainstorm in 80 degree weather.  I'll take the poop over that any day.  Though for reasons I've never been able to describe, it's always the human bio-waste which nauseates me the most.

The work of a keeper can be downright disgusting - though I think there's a psychological component as well.  I've definitely had occasions when I've gone to meet people straight after work and they've gagged and gasped and pretended they could smell poop - when I had been doing paperwork all day.

Still, I never really minded the gross parts.  To me, doing the dirty work is our admission ticket, the price that we pay for getting to spend our lives with amazing animals.  And after all, it's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

Also, it would probably break some biosecurity rules, but I think any zookeeper who actually brought a bin of poop to a school career day would make those kids' days, and be remembered for years to come... though perhaps not earning an invite to come again for next year.