Mr. Orndorff’s career began with a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Florida. While living in Florida, he worked with a rescue and salvage research station for sharks and fish. Once he completed his degree, he relocated to California and began raising infant animals at Lion Country Safari. He then worked as a medical technician for marine mammals at SeaWorld. SeaWorld sent him to Iceland to collect killer whale data, and to Antarctica to collect data on penguins. After 16 years of working at SeaWorld, he came to work for the San Diego Zoo.

One of the most important tasks Mr. Orndorff and his bird keeper team perform is replicating and preparing a bird’s diet as if they were living in the wild. Some of the ingredients that are found in the bird food trays at the Zoo are cut up mice, fish, crickets, worms, sunflower seeds, and apples. Oddly enough, some birds are fed dog food because they are carnivores and it has similar nutrients to the food that they would eat in the wild.

Another important skill in caring for birds is in knowing how to catch them without injuring them. Birds are caught when they show signs of injury or illness. The most efficient way to catch a bird is by placing food inside a small safety cage and attaching a string to the door. When the bird enters the cage for food, the string is pulled and the bird is caught. Amazingly simple! With the bird captured, the keepers are able to perform checkups and/or necessary treatments. All of the birds receive daily visual checks to assess their overall health and to ensure that they are not overly stressed. The keepers actually do a head count every day as well. This is simple enough in the small exhibits but the Owens Rain Forest Aviary has three levels and contains hundreds of birds representing dozens of species! Tough work even for a professional bird watcher.

Having a job as a bird keeper can be physically demanding, mentally challenging, and is pretty dirty work. The range of duties and responsibilities of being a bird keeper include making sure the exhibit layout works well for the resident birds, knowing how to care for all species of birds (from tiny hummingbirds to large raptors), and even working to prevent extinction in the wild. This job is ideal for a person with a lot of patience, who loves getting their hands, and mind, into a wide variety of endeavors.

-Elizabeth, Zoo internquest, Careers Team

One method of gathering information is by constructing an ethogram. An ethogram is used to help observe and record animals’ behavior. It is a chart with the behaviors of an animal on one side and a description of the behaviors on the other. The descriptions of the behavior have to make clear exactly what the behavior is so that anyone observing the animal would know what to look for, but it cannot use the name of the behavior in the description. This is actually much harder than it sounds, I mean, try describing “jump” without using the word jump! Once this chart is set up, when observing the animal you simply check off the behavior in the chart, and at the end, can quickly see how much time the animal spent doing various behaviors.

Once we had gotten that down, Ms. Tobey and Ms. Pitt figured we should put our knowledge into practice, so we headed to a behind-the-scenes research station where normally only researchers are allowed. There, we were introduced to four juvenile female cheetahs; only a chain link fence separated us! Individual cheetahs can be identified by their tail tips, which are unique to individual cheetahs. We started an ethogram, and began observing and classifying such behaviors as “Purr; a vocalized rumble from the throat.” It was so amazing seeing four friendly cheetahs so close up; they came right up to the fence where we were and purred, like they wanted us to pet them. I know I wanted to reach out and touch them. More than once one of the cheetahs stood up against the fence to try and smell us better. After a while, however, we apparently lost much of our novelty and the cheetahs decided it was about time to begin resting again.
Caring for cheetahs is different from caring for most other big cats like lions or leopards since cheetahs are easily intimidated. In the wild, cheetahs’ prey is often taken by lions or hyenas, which are bigger and stronger. So in managed care, since the keepers are bigger than the cheetahs, they can go into an enclosure with cheetahs, and they are often very tame and social towards them. (Read a blog about the four young cheetahs, Cheetahs in the Trees.)

The behavioral studies carried out at the Wild Animal Park are connected to conservation in the wild. Studying species’ behavior in managed care helps researchers to infer what the animal’s behavior is like in the wild and what the animal needs in order to thrive. Ms. Pitt explained that the antelope she studies are native to Sudan, but studies cannot be performed in their native habitat because the war-torn environment in Sudan is too dangerous; so she studies these antelope at the Park. The information obtained from observing the behavior here can be applied to the wild antelope in Sudan. As more understanding of these animals is gained, more steps can be taken to protect them in their native habitat.

Our last stop of the day was visiting the Geoffrey’s marmosets, small primates with what looked like black manes on their heads. We observed them and created an ethogram. The marmosets were very social and were also very interested in us and watched vigilantly when we moved around. Geoffrey’s marmosets are native to the forests of Brazil, a pretty colorful place. However, the males see in color while the females do not. This is thought to be for foraging strategies and differences in nutritional needs. We saw one of the animals catch a bug and eat it. I think that one was a female. In the meantime, the other individual animals were scanning their enclosure for something to eat. In addition to insects, these primates eat fruit, which is obviously more colorful than most bugs. We didn’t collect enough data to conclude anything about the eating habits of male and female marmosets. Looks like there is more work that can be done by future behavioral biologists, like maybe one of the Zoo InternQuest interns!

-A.J., Zoo InternQuest, Conservation Team

The Wild Animal Park is on 1,800 acres, 900 of which are dedicated to preservation. These 900 acres are for animals to live in, where they will not be disturbed by people staring at them all day. Behavioral biologists prefer to study animals in non-invasive, natural settings. When there are people around, wild animals often do not behave in natural ways.

Caroline Pitt, a behavioral biologist at CRES, observes antelope each and every day. She studies the behavior of the animals, how many offspring they have, and their hormonal changes. Because she does not want to interfere with the animals, she collects her information through observation and with feces and urine samples. This way she can study the animals without being invasive and interfering with their natural behavior. She also studies communication between animals, whether by acoustic communication or through hormones.

Jennifer Tobey is also a behavioral biologist; she does koala studies. (Read Jennifer’s blog, Male Koalas Smell like Goats?!) She told us about different ways to study animals, including focal sampling and scan sampling. Focal sampling is when you pick just one animal and study it for a set period of time and you write down what the animal does during the period. Scan sampling is used for herds of animals, where it is more difficult to focus on only one animal. This technique involves observing the entire herd and recording what they do as a whole.

Going behind the scenes at the Wild Animal Park was amazing. Off exhibit, scientists study the animals without the complications and disturbances of visitors. We observed four young cheetahs and many Geoffrey’s marmosets. (Read a blog about the four young cheetahs, Cheetahs in the Trees.) We tried our hand at being behavioral biologists. We watched the animals for ten minutes and described each of their behaviors. Ms. Pitt and Ms. Tobey told us to describe everything with great detail. It was extremely hard to describe an action such as sleeping without using the word sleeping! When studying the Geoffrey’s marmosets, it seemed that they were as interested in us as we were in them. The moment that we arrived, they were up against the exhibit watching our every move. Sometimes they would even mimic what we were doing.

Behavioral biology requires patience, keen observation skills, and the ability to clearly articulate the actions and activities of the animals being studied.

-Hayley, Real World Team, Zoo InternQuest

We began near the Zoo entrance, and Mr. Orndorff threw many staggering statistics at us. The San Diego Zoo has an incredibly broad range of birds; its collection is actually the largest in all of North America. There are 2,254 individual birds here, representing 390 species. This first number is constantly fluctuating because migratory birds, otherwise known as freeloaders, are frequent visitors to the Zoo. Mallard ducks often take respite in open exhibits and stay throughout the winter season. Unfortunately for the bird keepers at the Zoo, this species of waterfowl is extremely good at reproducing. Occasionally, keepers have to put out extra food to ensure that resident birds get fed along with their visiting relatives.

Mr. Orndorff took us to the exhibit of an extinct bird. The Micronesian kingfisher is actually extinct in the wild on the island of Guam. The population of birds and the island’s food chain was completely altered following the introduction of a foreign species, the brown tree snake. On this island, there are no natural predators to keep the population of snakes in check. This has led to the near extinction of several bird species, and now brown tree snakes outnumber their prey. This relationship is not sustainable, for either of the animals involved. Currently, conservation programs are in place for Micronesian kingfishers and have thus far been fairly successful. However, the problem will persist as long as non-native snakes live on the island, and efforts to release kingfishers back into the wild will be futile. Snake eradication is ongoing on the island of Guam but is not solving the problem fast enough. Despite this, scientists do not favor the introduction of yet another foreign species to reduce the number of snakes; any additional disruptions to the ecosystem may have other unintended consequences. It is presumed that any further human interference will lead to an even more complicated situation.

Scientists, and people in general, are becoming more aware of their role in the global community, and they are beginning to realize that human beings are one simple part, a puzzle piece, in the grand picture of life. By realizing this, people are enabling themselves to make changes and they are beginning to work together. Humans have learned a few things from the damage they have created, and they are ready to use this knowledge to benefit the world.

-Megan, Zoo InternQuest, The Real World Team

Ms. Pitt taught us how to record the behavior of animals. There are three major ways to do so. There is all-occurrence sampling in which every occurrence of a particular behavior is recorded. There is focal sampling, where only one animal is followed. At each time interval, the focal animal’s behavior is recorded. This is a very detailed way to collect data on one individual. There is also scan sampling. This is similar to the focal sampling, but instead of following only one animal, the consensus behavior of the whole herd is recorded. But you can’t just go out and study animals; you must first describe their behaviors in a detailed list called an ethogram. Constructing a detailed ethogram is very important; it helps future researchers to distinguish between similar behaviors such as walking and trotting.

For our first experience as a behavioral biologist, we constructed an ethogram. We visited the off-exhibit cheetah enclosure. We met four cheetah cubs and had the opportunity to study their behaviors. Cheetahs exhibit several different behaviors including pacing, chewing, jumping, and tail flicks. But the most interesting behavior to me was their purring. Those cheetahs can purr as loud as a truck motor! (Read Sagan Friant’s blog about her cheetah research, An Incredible Summer with CRES.)

We also visited the Geoffrey’s marmosets, little monkey-like creatures. We studied them and created an ethogram. These little marmosets are so much fun to watch. They are curious, cute, and they were as interested in us as we were in them. We conducted a marmoset bio-acoustic study. A bio-acoustic study documents animal communication through vocalization. It is used to study the different styles of “talking” that the animals have and variations in calls across seasons. Bio-acoustics is Ms. Tobey’s specialty, but right now she is using her skills to listen to koalas. She played for us some different calls that koalas make. Their vocalization consists of a loud inhaling and exhaling sound combined with a belch. I didn’t realize that koalas have a call, much less such an extraordinary one! (Read Jen’s blog, Motorcycles and Koalas.)

We found that studying animals can be very enjoyable. Ms. Pitt has a bachelor’s degree in biology and Ms. Tobey has a bachelor’s in biology and a master’s in psychology. They suggest that anyone interested in pursuing a career in behavioral biology engage in a lot of field research. Also, loving to be around animals, with all of their smells and sounds, is a must for this field!

-Ariel, Zoo InternQuest Zoo Careers Team

Our guide received a bachelor’s degree in biology in hopes of becoming a veterinarian. However, after working for a veterinary clinic she decided that it would be more exciting to interact with healthy animals rather than sick and injured animals. Thus, she decided to return to school to get an associate’s degree in exotic animal training and management. This gave her the opportunity to work for the San Diego Zoo. She studied at Moorpark College in Ventura County, where she trained with animals. As she led us around the Zoo, Ms. Robertson talked not only about her job and the animals, but also about the conservation efforts of the Zoo.

The San Diego Zoo contributes greatly to wildlife conservation throughout the world. For instance, since the Zoo is a non-profit organization, some money goes towards conservation endeavors. The Zoo has many ways to raise funds, such as selling giraffe biscuits to the public to feed to the giraffes. In return, the money that they raise goes towards a fund to conserve zebra herds in Africa. I traveled to Tanzania last summer, and I think this is an amazing way to raise money to help animals. In Africa, some people see animals as a source of money or food, not as co-habitants that need to be conserved. As a result, these animals are poached and sold on the black market, reducing certain animal populations to the point of near extinction. By supporting conservation in Africa, the Zoo is helping the animals that are facing such hardships.

The Zoo also helps in education about conservation. Ms. Robertson explained that by producing educational material for the Web site and publications such as ZOONOOZ, the Zoo is able to spread the knowledge needed to help people understand the importance of conservation. This is particularly important because of environmental concerns such as global warming and pollution. If we are going to conserve the environment as well as the animals that depend on certain habitats, education is a step in the right direction.

As a way of learning about the conservation efforts and education, Ms. Robertson introduced us to a number of animals found at the Zoo. We visited the male Indian rhinoceros, Graham, as well as the elephants and giraffes. As we circled the elephant exhibit, I learned that some of these animals were orphaned elephants threatened by the harsh conditions of living alone in the wild.

I look forward to learning more about the conservation efforts of the Zoo and Wild Animal Park and hope that by meeting people like Sunni, who are involved in these programs, my interest in this area will flourish as well.

- Sarah, Zoo InternQuest, Conservation Team

The San Diego Zoo is a non-profit organization. All the money that the Zoo makes from admission, gift stores, and food goes back to support the mission of the Zoological Society of San Diego: the animals and conservation programs. The Zoo occupies over 100 acres (40 hectares) of land, and has more plant species than animals. Many of the plants are as exotic, and as endangered, as the animals. The Zoo also saves money by growing some of the food that the animals eat.

When the Zoo was originally opened, all the animals were put into groups by species. As time went on, the staff realized that it was better to have the animals in bioclimatic regions. In other words, the animals were placed in specialized environments that recreated their natural habitats. This makes for more natural settings with a variety of animals – birds, reptiles, mammals, and sometimes even fish and insects coexist in the same area. All exhibits abide by standards for the animals set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), but for most of the exhibits, the San Diego Zoo goes well beyond the minimum requirements.

The Indian rhino, Graham, was born at the Zoo’s Wild Animal Park. Once he was old enough, he was moved to the Zoo as part of the Species Survival Plan for Indian rhinos in captivity. Currently, there are no suitable mates for Graham, but he is enjoying his stay at the Zoo. Before they breed a rhino they must consider a few things. Its genetics are extremely important, and zoologists make sure to prevent the over-representation of one family line. They also must plan ahead and think about where to eventually put all these rhinos! If the Zoo does not have the space to accommodate another rhino, they are forced to wait. Fortunately for Graham, he will have many more chances to breed.

Ms. Robertson taught us a lot about Indian rhinos. They are herbivorous and live in tropical Asia. Of course, I figured out he was an herbivore when he ate an apple out of my hand with his slobbery lips. Indian rhinos are endangered mostly because of hunting and habitat loss. In some cultures, having a rhino horn knife, cup, or necklace is a status symbol. It shows that you are better than others because you can kill a rhino just for its horn. People in other parts of the world can also buy rhino horns on the black market, even though it is illegal. Some cultures believe that a rhino’s horn has medicinal powers. They are killed just for their horn, which is then ground up and put into “special brews.” If only these people knew that a rhino horn is really made of keratin, the same protein that our hair and fingernails are made of.

The tallest land animal really is quite large up close! When we visited the giraffes’ behind the scenes area, I could not help but notice that giraffes have extremely long tongues and necks. On the African savanna, the tops of trees are what they eat. They use their tongues like we use our fingers. Giraffes wrap their tongue around the branches and rip off the leaves. During our visit, we fed the giraffes acacia leaves. I had to hold onto the branch with two hands because their tongues almost pulled the entire acacia branch out of my hand! Although giraffes are not yet endangered, their numbers have decreased over the past century. They are not as threatened as other large mammals in Africa because they don’t have many competitors and are not actively hunted by humans.

By touring the San Diego Zoo I became aware of the vast numbers of endangered animals and plants in the collection. I know that in the weeks ahead I will learn even more; hopefully the things that I learn will help me to change the fate of endangered species.

-Hayley, Zoo InternQuest, Real World Team

I found out that there is more than meets the eye to being a reptile keeper. I never knew that you had to know both the scientific (Latin) and common names of the animals. You also have to know how to examine the animals to determine whether or not they are ready for breeding. Physical checks of the animals must be done for many reasons, including detecting disease or genetic mutations that may be unhealthy to the population if the animal is allowed to be a part of the breeding group. You must take daily statistics to ensure that the animals are not sick or depressed, and that they are in overall good health. If the animals are sick or injured, you must be able to properly care for them.

The Zoo has a veterinary staff and can perform almost all of their own medical procedures at the Reptile House and in other animal areas if the animal cannot be moved to the Zoo hospital. Although there is a lot of work that goes into caring for the animals, I can only imagine how fun and rewarding it must be to care for endangered animals and to watch their populations grow. It must be fulfilling to be able to train reptiles by voice command, like the reptile team does with the endangered crocodilian, the gharials, and to be able to recreate natural environments.

Personally speaking, I would not want to work in the Reptile Department because I find handling some of the most venomous animals in the world a little frightening. I think the reptiles would be able to sense my fears and tension. This probably would not be good for them or me. On the other hand, I can appreciate the zeal that reptile keeper Todd Schmidt has and the passion involved in working with these types of animals. I admire him and his colleagues for their ability to do a job that I find challenging in many ways. I will no longer look at reptiles the same way. I am very grateful for people like Mr. Schmidt who love animals that aren’t really loved by a lot of people who visit the San Diego Zoo.

-Elizabeth, Zoo InternQuest, Careers Team