Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal. To meet the Interns, read the Intern Profiles.

The title of this blog is the exact wording of a sign we encountered while behind the scenes with Britta Wilson-Pastore at Hunte Amphitheater at the Zoo. Hearing about how Ms. Wilson-Pastore began her career working with animals was inspiring in many ways. It was nice to know that it is possible to get the best job in the world, as long as you keep trying.

Ms. Wilson-Pastore originally worked in Hollywood, modeling and doing some acting for commercials. After being in the modeling and acting industry, she became tired of always worrying about what she wore, how much she weighed, what she looked like, and when she would get her next job. She discovered that she wanted a career that was more fulfilling and meaningful to her. She decided to get educated and to change her career goals.

Ms. Wilson-Pastore attended Long Beach State University and received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in biology and an emphasis in animal behavior. After receiving her degree, she worked for one year at the Santa Ana Zoo, where she had spent a semester volunteering for free watching and recording the behaviors of animals in a new mixed-species exhibit. Although she was working with animals, Ms. Wilson-Pastore had set her mind to working at the San Diego Zoo. She started out in a temporary summer job as an educator guide at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park. Since that was a temporary job, when the summer ended she had to find a job to keep paying the bills. She actually worked in the title insurance business for a few years, in the meantime applying for any and all animal-related jobs at the Zoo. She joined the San Diego Zoo’s Education Department and then worked her way into the Behavior Department and her dream job. That job was to personally work with animals (like the red kangaroo we met!) and train them. Working with animals, she told us, fulfils her because she is a voice for the animals. She has the job of her dreams, and her happiness shows!

- Elizabeth, Zoo InternQuest, Animal Careers Team

Positive Rewards

Animal trainer Britta Wilson-Pastore works exclusively with animal ambassadors. These animals appear in a variety of educational shows at the Zoo, make appearances at events at the Zoo, and sometimes visit schools. To be an animal ambassador, the animals are carefully trained using positive reinforcement to be comfortable around people and to respond to cues from their trainers. Food, toys and encouragement are all types of positive reinforcement, and an animal receives these treats upon completing a required task. Positive reinforcement can also be used in the daily lives of regular people who share their homes with domestic animals. Dog training, for example, uses many of the same key ideas. By giving your pet the skills that it needs, you are averting any type of conflict due to unwanted behavior on the animal’s part.

Of course, communicating specific actions to the animal can be tricky, so the trainers and the animals practice daily. I guess you should to if training your pet. Practice makes perfect! Trainers use a device called a clicker to bridge the time between action and reward. The clicking noise is followed shortly by a treat, so animals begin to recognize what they have done correctly and then repeat the behavior in order to be rewarded again. This type of interaction builds the trust that is necessary for a working relationship between a wild animal and a trainer. Training also allows animals to learn and remain motivated, which is extremely important for encouraging mental stimulation. This, in turn, creates a better environment for both the animal and for the people. From here, you can build a lasting and functioning friendship with your four-legged friend.

Who knew that giving your dog treats could be so beneficial!

-Megan, Zoo InternQuest, Real World Team

A “Show” of Support for Animals

The animals Ms. Wilson-Pastore and the other trainers in her team work with not only get trained to demonstrate natural behaviors on cue, but also get to flaunt their stuff at the two 20-minute shows the San Diego Zoo has daily.

In terms of conservation, says Ms. Wilson-Pastore, these 40 minutes are the most important of the day. She explained to us that the shows are to educate the public about the animals. Seeing the various animals in a closer and more personal setting than in the animal enclosures can create a bond between the guests and the animals. People who see the shows will learn more about the animals and will, in turn, care about what happens to them. In order for someone to care about a cause like conservation of animals and their habitats, you have to know about it. The animal shows at the San Diego Zoo bring people and wild animals together in a way that allows them to connect with the conservation messages. It is an experience they will not soon forget.

For instance, you might learn, as we did, that a binturong is a medium-sized black mammal that eats mainly fruit and lives in Southeast Asia. Ms. Wilson-Pastore brought out Bap Rang, her special binturong friend, to meet us. We fed Bap Rang fruit and posed for a picture with her on our laps. Talk about connecting with the animals! It was downright comical when she got up close and personal to sniff our ears and faces. It was surprising to me how coarse her hair was, and that she also smelled like popcorn! (We learned later that binturongs often smell like buttered popcorn.) After my close up encounter with Bap Rang, I know that I will care about binturongs and what happens to their species in the wild. And this is the ultimate goal of the animal shows, to have the public find out about the unique animals of the Earth and to take an interest in their future as well as our own.

-A.J., Zoo InternQuest, Conservation Team

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