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.

They came out on leashes, timid and skittish. Their haunches quivered as their black, orb eyes cautiously made eye contact with us, only a few feet away. Any sudden movements triggered the manes on their backs to flare up and sway in the wind like tall grasses. Before us, two glorious striped hyenas, Tuli and Puru, serving as ambassadors for their wild counterparts at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park.

Children’s films portray hyenas as evil, dirty scoundrels. Likewise, their reputation paints them primarily as scavenging thieves. These tainted views dissolve when you finally see these gorgeous creatures up close, for exactly what they are. Gorgeous and truly wild, Tuli and Puru demonstrated to us that their unfortunate reputation remains unjustified. Along with teaching the importance of conservation, animal ambassadors work to shatter misleading stereotypes.

Senior animal trainer Janet Ramsay shared an anecdote about a young girl and her family on a recent VIP tour of the Park. When the striped hyena was brought out from its enclosure, the family’s body language shifted drastically. Mrs. Ramsay, concerned, asked if everything was all right. The parents revealed that the young girl had an enormous phobia of hyenas and were anxious for her reaction. However, during the animal encounter, the girl remained the calmest, smiling throughout the presentation. Afterwards, as she walked past the hyenas’ enclosure, she thanked them, saying she would have “no more nightmares.”

People are unlikely to protect and conserve what they fear or do not love. People will rarely love what they have never seen. The interaction with the hyenas empowered the young girl to overcome her phobia. Simply seeing what we are afraid of can be enough to change a fear of the unknown to a love for reality. In this way, zoos establish a bond between people and animals, in the name of conservation, for the wellbeing of all.

Natalie, The Real World Team

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