Kristi Dovich, animal behavior manager at the San Diego Zoo, has been training a sea lion named Riley to perform a back flip. Riley, has been learning this trick for about three weeks. Communicating with animals can be difficult but Kristi Dovich has patience and skill that help enable her to be an effective trainer. Being able to sit in on a training session was a really awesome experience for the Zoo InternQuest interns!

Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

Our last day at the Wild Animal Park (WAP) was a real treat. We got to ride out on the back of a keeper truck with the guidance of keepers Michele Gaffney and Torrey Pillsbury. Yes you read right, a keeper truck! Not the photo caravans where you sit comfortably on benches, but a keeper truck where, much to the dismay of my fellow intern who wore shorts, we got to sit on bales of hay.

As I tried to find a position that was optimal for picture taking, Ms. Pillsbury told us about the tagging system that they did with the animals. Instead of notches, the animals are marked with tags. Tagging on the ears can count up to 400. Sometimes, the tag will fall out but you can still see what number they are by the hole that the tag left. Keepers log all this info down to track the animals.

When it came time to feed the rhinos, we had a heck of a time getting close to them. At first, they were very skittish and would not come close to the truck. But after about thirty minutes of chasing them around in the truck and bribing them with apples, they sauntered on over.

Oddly enough, a baby rhino is one of the cutest things that we had ever seen. Just seeing him pad around in his little armor was hilarious. As his mother ate the apples that we offered her, the baby was content with sucking on the bumper of the truck

What better way to end things than to go full circle? On our first day out, we fed the giraffes with Rachelle Marcon and now here we are on Week 6 feeding the giraffes at the WAP. Things were a bit different this time though, we were at their level. Well, almost. It was truly amazing to be able to look into those big eyes of theirs. It was almost enough for us not to mind the fact that we got acacia dribble all over us.

Regina, Photography Team

Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

Many people don’t realize just how much work goes into being an animal keeper. We met with Torrey Pillsbury (pictured below), an animal keeper at the Wild Animal Park, who showed us the ins and outs of her job. On our way to the keeper office, she pointed out the food warehouse where the animal diets are prepared every morning. She showed us the journal where they keep records of all medical conditions, births, and deaths of the animals in the field enclosures. Ms. Pillsbury and the other keepers use trucks to transport animals on a daily basis to different areas of the Wild Animal Park. The most daunting part of her job is her responsibility to keep track of every animal in the Journey Into Africa exhibit. To keep track of the animals, small notches that represent numbers are made in different parts of the animals’ ears. These notches can range anywhere from 1-99 and if there are more animals of that species in a given enclosure, then they use colored tags to continue counting. That’s a lot of animals to take care of everyday!

Ms. Pillsbury’s job plays a very important role in wildlife conservation. She is helping to save endangered species by making sure the animals are healthy and happy so that they will reproduce as efficiently as possibly. Ms. Pillsbury works closely with the animals themselves, but also with the clinical pathology and endocrinology labs by gathering feces samples that the scientists can use for hormonal studies which further aid in the reproductive success of the species. Not everyone, however, is able to work within a few feet of giant rhinos. So what can people do if they want to help? The most important thing is to be educated about the environment. We all need to understand the damaging effects of pollution, habitat destruction, invasive species, and all of the other dangers to the biosphere. Taking an interest in conservation and volunteering your time to help save a species is helpful to everyone!

Eric, Real World Team

Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

As with all good things, Zoo InternQuest has come to an end. After seven memorable weeks as an intern for the Zoological Society of San Diego, I’ve realized just how much work, time, and effort goes into caring for the animals and plants that we’ve come to know and love. Whether it be in the lab, the kitchen, or the field, the staff at the Zoo all play a part in taking care of our furry, feathered, and foreign friends. Though they don’t all have the pleasure of interacting with their animal benefices, there are a lucky few who do. And who are they? Why, the animal keepers of course.

The animal keepers at the Zoo are the unsung heroes of the day. Just ask Torrey Pillsbury and Michele Gaffney. Feeding runs, keeper reports, sample collection, these ladies do it all! After an excursion through the Wild Animal Park’s Heart of Africa and India in the back of a keeper truck, we found that there’s more to being a keeper than scooping up poop.

Bumping around the dusty path in the back of the truck, we made our way through the Park with the wind blowing through our hair and smiles on our faces. They grew even bigger when we pulled up to a group of giraffes, munching loosely on boughs and eyeing us through their long eyelashes. Ms. Pilsbury pulled out a bucket of leaves, and though it took a little persuasion and soft words, we were soon feeding the gentle giants,   their rough tongues covering our hands in saliva  (right).

Keepers, you might say, are the eyes and ears of the Zoo, noting and observing the day-to-day activities that go on. They must keep a sharp eye out to see if any babies have been born, or any deaths have occurred. They watch for unusual behaviors, such as isolation or if an animal isn’t eating, in addition to any visible medical issues that may arise. All of this information is dutifully recorded in keeper record books. It sounds like a lot of work, but the time the keepers get to spend with the animals is worth the effort, as we quickly saw upon touring through the Park. To have such a vast array of animals, all with different personalities, some shy, some friendly, under one’s care is an amazing responsibility. Though Ms. Gaffney has a Master’s degree, an Associate’s degree is the only required education to become a keeper.

Claire, Careers Team

Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

The heavy-duty jeep moved steadily along the dirt trail within the back enclosures of the Wild Animal Park. I was perched on a bale of hay in the back of the truck and from there I was able to see many of the Wild Animal Park’s magnificent creatures and amongst them were some Southern White rhinoceroses. It was so incredible to see them from a couple hundred meters away, but it was even more amazing when Michele Gaffney, a Wild Animal Park Keeper, slowly pulled up right next to a mother and baby rhinoceros to feed them apples. We excitedly leaned over the edge of the truck’s rails to toss apples right into their mouths. Torrey Pillsbury, a Wild Animal Park Keeper, explained to us how well the breeding program at the Wild Animal Park has been going. I was amazed at how many rhinos have been born through the breeding program!

So Ms. Gaffeny and Ms. Pillsbury are keepers at the Wild Animal Park, and in correcting the common misconception that keepers just clean and feed animals, they do way more than just that! The keepers can identify animals by name, they also observe their behaviors, keep track of health conditions, have to communicate with the vets and nutritionists, as well as bring animals in for any necessary medical procedures. A keeper’s job is a lot more than what is expected.

They also assist with conservation of species in a number of ways. First, they educate the public about the animals and get people to understand why it’s important to preserve Earth’s species. Second, they take care of the animals and help assist in decisions on which animals will breed, which helps ensure a sustainable population. The keepers have a very hands-on job and one that is needed to conserve a species. Through this experience I learned that only through combined efforts can conservation goals become possible.

Kate, Conservation Team

Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest journals. For more photos see Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

There are many ways that the San Diego Zoo promotes conservation of endangered species. Animal shows are one of them. By educating the public about the species, the Zoo promotes conservation in a fun and casual environment that all ages can understand. I have seen the show at the Zoo’s Wegeforth Bowl many times, and each time I do I am reminded of how very important each species is, no matter how small or unknown. The Wegeforth Bowl, a show stadium near the front of the Zoo, was named after the Zoo’s founder, Dr. Harry Wegeforth. He had a passion for animals, of course, and his favorite was the sea lion, which is featured in the show. We petted (and got a wet kiss from) one of these magnificent animals.

It’s hard to believe when you are watching them on stage that they are five to six hundred pounds, but when you are up close they are huge! Their eyes are very large, about the size of a golf ball, and they actually have very short fur. Kristi Dovich, Animal Training Manager at the Zoo, demonstrated the teaching method used by the trainers. Mechanical clickers make a noise that tells the animal that it did something right. The click means “you got it”. When an animal does a behavior correctly, the trainer clicks the clicker, praises and rewards the animal with food.

When anyone comes to the San Diego Zoo and watches the shows they are reminded of how uniquely adapted and beautiful each species is to the rest of the world. It inspires hope and promotes conservation, while providing a fun and exciting journey around the world and back to sunny San Diego.

-Wendy, Conservation Team

Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

If I got a dollar for every correct answer on a test, I’d probably try a lot harder to get as many right answers as possible. That’s the same concept the animal trainers at the Zoo use to persuade the animals to do certain things. Animal Training Manager Kristi Dovich and the Wegeforth Bowl Team showed us the techniques used to train the animals.

One of the coolest things about how animals are trained at the Zoo is the techniques can be used to train your pets at home. The main thing to remember is that the Zoo does not use negative reinforcement, only positive. The key is to use a signal to say “good job.” This signal is meant to represent a reward, usually in the form of food. Anything will work for a signal, but a clicker is more convenient than saying “good boy!” every time the animal does something good. To make sure that the animal makes the connection between the noise and a reward, the first thing the trainers do when they start to train an animal is click and feed. They just have to make sure that the animal isn’t doing anything bad when the connection is established. It wouldn’t be very good if an animal were accidentally trained to charge people!

Another thing that’s cool about how the animals are trained is that the animals learn at their own pace. If the animal is trying, or gets part of a motion down, then it gets rewarded. Once the animal improves significantly, the trainer raises the criteria for the animal to get a treat. Also, when the animal starts to get full of food, the trainer works on easier behaviors with the animal, like walking over the drain (pictured). Just like how you wouldn’t want to run a mile on a full stomach, an animal wouldn’t want to do something like a back-flip after it has eaten most of its meal.

Even though it may seem like the animal shows at the Zoo are just for fun, they do so much more than entertain the guests. Disguised within the merriment of the shows is a lesson in why people should care about and engage in conservation actions for the amazing animals on the stage and in the Zoo. Also, since none of the animals used in the shows can be released into the wild for one reason or another, the shows at the Zoo give these animals a chance to help their species and many others. By educating and motivating everyone who watches the shows, these amazing animals help gain support and funds for conservation around the world. So next time you go to the Zoo, make sure you check out one of the shows. Those animals and their trainers just might teach you some new tricks!

Madolyn, Real World Team

Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

Getting kissed by a sea lion is uniquely interesting, that much is for sure. There are at least three sensations that accompany the experience. For instance, when it was my turn to get kissed by Cabo the sea lion I felt: excitement, intimidation, and surprise. I was excited because I had been given a privilege only a select few have ever received. The intimidation factor was of course because of the fact that Cabo weighs at least three times as much as I do. Plus, even with his extensive training he is still a wild animal. Then, when Cabo finally leaned over and touched his face to my cheek, I almost jumped when I felt his wet whiskers tickle my face. All in all it was a fantastic experience.

Today we went on a behind the scenes tour of the Wegeforth Bowl where the animal ambassadors are kept and where their trainers work. Our guides were Animal Training Manager, Kristi Dovich, and Animal Trainer, Heidi Moomaw. Our tour began with Ms. Moomaw who showed us where the enclosures of the various animal ambassadors were. I quickly chimed in and asked her what kind of education a person would need to become one of the Zoo’s animal trainers and she gladly responded that most of the trainers had Bachelor’s degrees in fields relating to animal sciences or zoology. She also explained that most of her fellow trainers had attended exotic animal training programs in order to gain the needed experience working with the potentially dangerous animals that the Zoo animal training staff works with on a daily basis.

All of the animal ambassadors showed at least some interest in our group. Jezebel the Harris hawk squawked in adamant protest over our presence in her domain. However, once we moved past the borders of her enclosure, she seemed more than satisfied that we would not return and resumed preening her feathers. Unlike Jezebel, most of the other ambassadors ranged from indifferent to happy with our presence and the attention that we gave them. For instance, Montana the New Guinea singing dog was more than happy to howl with us and wag her tail when we told her how beautiful she was. However, Ms. Moomaw explained that even cute, sweet-looking Montana demanded our respect. She explained that when she and one of the wolf ambassadors were together on stage, it was short, sweet Montana who took charge over the much larger wolf. All of this seemed to only endear us to Montana even more.

As we ended our day I couldn’t help but feel proud to have seen so many important animals. They and their trainers have a great responsibility in bringing the messages of their species to the public. One major thing that my experience in InternQuest has taught me is that spreading the word about conservation is one of the best ways to change the view of our world for the better. Every day the animal training staff and the animal ambassadors of the Wegeforth Bowl go out and teach the message of conservation to the masses. Now I want to go spread the word!

Stephen, Careers Team

Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

I was surprised to find out that despite common belief peanuts go to the birds. Yes, you read right, peanuts don’t go to the elephants. As a matter of fact, it’s been quite a few years since an elephant at the Zoo has been fed a peanut. Sorry for bursting your bubble.

And how do I know this? This week we met with Dr. Michael Schlegel whose job it is to supervise the nutritional service department. More than making diets, Dr. Schlegel finds out what nutrients an animal needs. This is easier said than done though because you can’t exactly find a National Research Council (NRC) research document on California condors. So what Dr. Schlegel does is find a NRC on an animal that’s diet most resembles that of the animal in question, which in the case of the California condor would a be a feline. Of course a bird and a cat do not have the exact same needs even if they have similar diets, so adjustments are made accordingly.

I have often wondered what happens to the fruits that the plants on Zoo property produce. Dr. Schlegel informed us that a deal with the horticulture department ensures that fruit and leaves harvested on Zoo and Wild Animal Park grounds enhance the stocks of food for the animals. Now you know what happens to the guavas in front of the Kopje exhibit at the Zoo.

The forage warehouse (where the produce is stored) is divided into two sections: meat and vegetables. The veggie fridge itself was huge storing meal worms, sugar cane, and everything in between. The meat freezer had more of your “everyday” items: apple snails, mice, rabbits, and oyster shells.

Regina, Photography Team

We were delighted to meet with Dr. Chris Tubbs, an endocrinologist at CRES whose primary focus is pregnancy testing in rhinos. We learned that the best way to determine whether or not a rhino is pregnant is by running tests on its blood, urine, or feces to quantify the amount of progesterone in its body. Dr. Tubbs showed us how it’s done and then gave us the opportunity to experience the process of analyzing hormone levels for ourselves.

Using pipettes to aliquot enzymes into the test tubes made us feel like real scientists. An EIA (Enzyme Immuno Assay) measures changes in color and is used to quantify the amount of hormone in a sample. This process can sometimes take a couple of days but is a very important aspect of the scientists’ work in the Reproductive Physiology division at CRES.

In the Reproductive Physiology division, sperm is saved and stored in the Frozen Zoo where it can later be used for research or for artificial insemination. Sperm can be obtained when an animal is neutered or after an animal has died. Nicole, Tom, and Barbara, scientists at CRES, taught us how to count sperm, determine if it is alive or dead, and also how different methods are used to perform these tasks. Counting sperm through a microscope proved to be a little challenging because they are constantly moving around the slide! For this reason, specialized machinery that utilizes florescent light and dye labels is often used to count sperm cells. The machine was much faster and more accurate than our attempts to count the sperm with the naked eye.

Nina, Photography Team