Riding around on haystacks in the back of a truck over hills, around obstacles, and through little run off gullies sounds memorable enough. Make the valley you’re riding through the East Africa exhibit at the Wild Animal Park, and make the obstacles rhinos, and it all adds up to a day I’m sure none of us interns will soon forget.

My favorite parts included being mobbed by giraffes while feeding them. They proved their long necks definitely are an advantage when a few of them kept swooping in and maneuvering through everyone to take feeder biscuits out of a bucket on the floor of the truck. After today, I can honestly say I know what it feels like to have a giraffe tongue wrapped around my hand! I also enjoyed watching one Indian gaur bull grunt and flick dirt at us with his horns. Knowing I was in a vehicle that could withstand and outrun him allowed me to “enjoy” the viewing, otherwise “panicked,” or “ran in fear” I’m sure would have been more accurate descriptions of that experience. To the keepers, the gaurs are affectionately known as “crazy cows,” because they attack anyone that comes too close. Contributing to their nickname, the gaurs also have these demonic looking blue-green eyes, and are able to throw rocks using their horns with very good aim.

Our guide throughout all of this was senior field keeper Tammy Batson, who told us that there is no such thing as a normal day at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park. A day may include riding around the exhibit checking fence lines, feeding, cleaning, taking care of any medical procedures, counting herds, and doing whatever else shows up during the day. One of the critical parts of her job is looking for and recording any changes in the behavior of the animals. Even the subtlest changes can happen because an animal is pregnant or sick. Observation is important especially for exotic animals who try not to show any sign of weakness because in nature that leaves them open to attack either from predators or competitors (such as other territorial males). By the time they do exhibit signs of weakness they are already in a critical state.

With the East Africa exhibit almost 100 acres (about the size of the whole Zoo) and the Asian Plains exhibit another 70 acres, it is easy to see how hard it is to keep track of all the animals. Unlike at the Zoo, where most animals are kept in groups of their same species, and are in smaller exhibits which makes them easier to keep track of, animals at the Park are free to roam around and find hiding spots. All of the animals, except for the rhinos and giraffes, are identified using ear notches and tags, but for Ms. Batson, it still took time to learn the difference between all of the species of gazelle and deer. Once they get the basics down, keepers also have to note little and unusual things, such as one animal staying with the herd of another species. Keepers also look for breeding cues like the one male who kicks his sister out the herd on the exact same day every year so he can breed with the rest of the females.

The Wild Animal Park is one of the most unique places I have ever been to, and although working as a keeper there has its risks (Ms. Batson has been charged by rhinos multiple times) it definitely has it share of perks–not only for the keepers, but also for the animals who have a chance to live in the closest thing to their native habitat. The animals in turn behave as they do in the wild, making it an ideal place for studying their behavior and increasing populations through natural breeding. The Park is also a great tool for conservation because it is a win-win situation for anyone who goes there, whether they are the animals, keepers, or visitors. Any of these species are opened up to new experiences by being transported to another part of the world.

Contributed by Mariah - Zoo InternQuest Conservation Team

Posted in Uncategorized | Link to this post

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Comments are currently closed. Pinging is not allowed.