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.

On our behind-the-scenes tour with Rachelle Marcon, an Educator Guide at the San Diego Zoo, we got close-up views of the koala bedrooms and koala teeth (which are pretty gnarly looking), we were serenaded by Matilda the kookaburra, and we even got to feed camels and giraffes. It was all very cool!

But my favorite part of the day was when we went behind-the-scenes with the Masai giraffes (picture above). One of the funniest and most educational moments for me was when an adolescent male Masai giraffe named Travis yanked a branch out of one of our hands in order to eat it. Immediately after Travis yanked the branch away, he held his head up high as if to suggest that we would try and take the branch back. I was extremely shocked and amused with his actions because who would’ve thought that a giraffe would want to eat a branch in the first place? Rachelle said that his eating of the branch was perfectly normal and likened it to us eating celery.

As a member of the Conservation Team, I was most interested in information about the endangerment of Masai giraffes. Rachelle told us all about “umbrella species” and how the Masai giraffes at the San Diego Zoo are contributing to conservation efforts that save Grevy’s zebras. An umbrella species is basically like an ambassador; the attention they bring to themselves is used to achieve a conservation goal and at San Diego Zoo, the garnered attention is used to benefit endangered species. Masai giraffes at the Zoo are an umbrella species for Grevy’s zebras. Visitors at the Zoo can choose to pay five dollars to feed the Masai giraffes; the funds go to support the Grevy’s zebras. The really great thing is that the Masai giraffes are not the only umbrella species that help support programs to save endangered species; there are many others as well.

So next time you go behind-the-scenes with the Masai giraffes at the Zoo, know that you are making a difference for endangered species. This is not the only way to help conserve species; you can also watch what you buy, or be sure to recycle, as well as donate directly to saving endangered species programs. The point is that you too can make a difference.

Kate, Conservation Team

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