Zoo InternQuest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventure here on the Zoo’s website!
This week interns had the time of our lives visiting Torrey Pillsbury and Roger Petersen at the Safari Park. Interns went on a caravan safari, where we traveled in the back of an open-air safari truck. We got an up-close view of Asian and African birds and mammals, with an opportunity to feed giraffes and rhinos! Throughout the entire safari, interns were told unforgettable stories from Ms. Pillsbury and Mr. Peterson, two senior mammal keepers.
At the Safari Park, no two days are the same, but Mr. Petersen and Ms. Pillsbury do have a schedule that they must follow. In the wee hours of the morning, both keepers must check the board, the black book and the red book. The black book contains specific details of all of the animals residing in their care, while the red book holds all the information about each animal animal throughout the course of one years: births, behaviors, injuries, and diet. In the red book, Ms. Pillsbury and Mr. Petersen also record what occurred that day, so that keepers can be aware of what may have happened the day before.
After checking the books, Mr. Petersen and Ms. Pillsbury load the trucks with hay and water for the hoofstock, rhinos and giraffes. After the truck is filled, they both enter the enclosure, feed the animals and refill the water containers. While in the enclosure, one of their main jobs is to identify and count all of the animals. Ms. Pillsbury and Mr. Petersen use ear notches and tags to identify each hoofstock. The notches and the tags represent a number that is registered with the San Diego Safari Park. This job is tedious and requires a good eye. In order to get a close peek, a simple but effective way to bring the animals closer to the truck is to use treats that the animals love. Once the animals are close to the truck, Ms. Pillsbury and Mr. Petersen identify the animals and document any strange behaviors or injuries that may have occurred overnight.
Interns saw firsthand that both Ms. Pillsbury and Mr. Petersen are hardworking, passionate, and patient. All these traits are important for any future animal keeper. Both keepers are veterans at their trade. As a young child, Ms. Pillsbury visited the Safari Park with her grandmother, bolstering her interest in wildlife. After high school, Ms. Pillsbury was a horse trainer at the Safari Park in the horse show. This experience was a door opener and led to her role as an elephant trainer for the elephant shows at the Safari Park many years ago. After working with the shows at the Safari Park, Ms. Pillsbury set her sight on being an animal keeper. Finally, the opportunity presented itself, and she became a keeper for the elephants and orangutans at the Phoenix Zoo. After her experience in Phoenix, Ms. Pillsbury came back to the Safari Park where she worked in the Neonatal Assisted Care Unit and cared for baby gorillas and black rhinos. Later, she obtained her current position as a mammal keeper, which she hopes to continue for many years.
Mr. Peterson, like Ms. Pillsbury, has always loved wildlife. Before working at the Safari Park, Mr. Peterson worked on a fishing boat for eight years, studying birds and sea life along the way. After high school and his fishing excursions, Mr. Petersen worked at the SeaWorld San Diego with birds, specifically penguins. After this experience, Mr. Petersen acquired his current position as a mammal keeper at the Safari Park. Mr. Peterson has worked at the Safari Park for 28 years, older than most millennials. Everyday he enjoys his job more and more because he is able to help the environment and educate the public about the importance of each animal.
Like any other keeper position, experience is everything.The main advice of Ms. Pillsbury and Mr. Petersen is to never give up and to find a career that excites you. With over 50 combined years of work at the Safari Park, Mr. Petersen and Ms. Pillsbury still love their jobs and hope to continue their careers. Their main goal and passion is to conserve these exotic and majestic creatures, so the next generation can witness their beauty and awe-inspiring grace.
Kristofer, Careers Team
Week Six, Fall Session 2016
