Susan Shepard

Hometown:  Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, CA (Oceanside)

Department/Title: Carnivore Keeper

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo?: 8 years

How long have you been in the your field?: Total of 11 years – I worked at the Topeka Zoo for 2 ½ years

Animals I train: Patty (Spectacled Bear); Kadu (Leopard); Uzima (one of newest female Lions); Taji (Anatolian Shepherd)

Favorite animal: Spectacled Bears – bears in general!

Animals at home: I have a Blue and Gold Macaw, 1 dog and 2 cats.

Special interests/hobbies: Knitting, reading, hiking, working with Rhodesian Ridgeback and Anatolian Shepherd rescue groups. I also volunteer at a low cost spay/neuter clinic in La Marque.

Spectacled Bear

What made you want to work at a zoo?:

Initially I wanted to be a vet but by the time I would have gotten accepted, I would have had to go to college for 8 years and didn’t want to commit the time. I also knew that I did not want to work with livestock animals as a career. One day a woman from Cat Tales, a private facility in Spokane, WA that specializes in cats, came to the university and did a presentation about cats and zoo keeping. She brought one of their leopards and took him out for part of the presentation. After talking with her I thought Zoo Keeping would be fun to do as a career. I did some research, decided that it was something I wanted to do and switched my major to Zoology.

Education/training: Bachelor of Science Zoology, emphasis on Animal Care from Washington State University and a Certificate in Zoo Keeping from Cat Tales Zoological Training Center.

Advice to anyone wanting to enter your field: Be prepared for a lot of hard work and don’t get discouraged if you don’t get a job right away! Getting a job takes a lot of luck and good timing. You have to work for it and be persistent! If possible, take courses in psychology, training workshops, horticulture, and public speaking.

Penelope (right) and Olivia enjoy snuggling together, even on hot summer days!

Guinea Hog piglets. Just saying that now brings a huge smile to my face, and I’m not the only one.  Our new girls have charmed every person-young or old, zookeeper or not-that has laid eyes on them.  They now have adorable names to match their very individual personalities: Penelope and Olivia.  Named after two famous piglets from children’s story books, Olivia was named such for her dainty, princess-like personality.  Penelope, on the other hand, goes by the nickname “bulldozer”, always trying to push her way to the center of attention. If these first few weeks of Penelope and Olivia being on exhibit has taught us anything, it is definitely that piglets have a TON of energy!  These girls seem to be on the move the majority of the day.  Running, chasing, bouncing off of each other, training, climbing in water bowls and searching for snacks in the dirt sure takes a lot of energy!  Even eating is a mini-marathon, each piglet trying to play and eat at the same time.  And when they are tuckered out they find a corner to snuggle in, sometimes nose to nose, other times side by side.

Play or eat? Decisions, decisions.

Even the other animals who live nearby are entertained by their antics.  The first few days on exhibit piqued everyone’s interest and nearly every move they made was being carefully watched.  Crowds of goats gathered at the fence, each one trying to get a good look at the new additions.  The Zebus called out, seeming to wonder why the attention was not centered on them, and the Llama couldn’t decide if the piglets were friend or foe.  A week later, everyone is content with Penelope and Olivia being their new neighbors.   When it is time for a training session, the excitement is easy to see.  Penelope and Olivia can’t get enough affection and attention, and they usually greet their trainers with a grunt or squeal.  According to trainer Amy Lavergne, Penelope and Olivia’s favorite reward seems to be strawberries, although being pigs they will accept almost any fruit or vegetable we give them!  Pigs are not picky.  One of the girls’ favorite behaviors to work on is paint, where the trainer applies non-toxic paint to their snouts and lets them go wild on a canvas to create their own masterpiece.  Ok, maybe they don’t go wild yet, but they’re working on it.  And just like your kids at home, they do not like cleaning up!  Running around with a bright pink nose is much more fun than taking a bath.  Before too long they will be learning to walk on harnesses to get some exercise and excitement outside of their exhibit.

Candace applies animal friendly paint to Olivia's snout, which she will use as her paintbrush.

Olivia makes her first swipe onto the canvas.

She seems to be catching on to the fun of being an animal artist!

She even managed to get some good snout prints!

A completed painting by Olivia

Next up is bath time to clean all that paint off!

For now, Penelope and Olivia are very busy exploring, playing, tasting new foods, learning new behaviors and getting used to their daily routine.  They are absolutely adorable and quite rambunctious, qualities that are sure to make them a Houston Zoo favorite for many years to come!   Be sure to visit the John P. McGovern Children’s Zoo during your next visit to see Penelope and Olivia up close! For more adorable pictures of Penelope and Olivia visit the Houston Zoo’s Photo Albums!

To learn more about Olivia books by Ian Falconer, visit http://www.oliviathepiglet.com/. Visit http://www.nicolerubel.com/nicolebooks.htm to learn more about Penelope Pig books by Nicole Rubel.

Kaitlin, a 2010 Zoo Crew member!

Name: Kaitlin McDonald
Hometown: Houston, TX
Age: 16
Section: CZ ZooCrew
Favorite Animal: Otters  

Special Interests/Hobbies: I like to read, hang out with friends, and watch movies. My favorite movie is Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn! I am also involved with volunteering with Fort Bend Teen Service League as president-elect and with Students against Destructive Decisions (SADD) as co-president.  

 What animals do you have at home?: I have two cats, Furby and Furry.  

Education/Training: I’m in High School and going to be a junior where I’ll graduate in 2012.  

Jobs: Last year I was a Zoo Crew member for the commissary. I also worked at  kids’ camp called Camp Invention.  

What do you want to do in the future?
I’m not really sure, although I definitely want to go to college!  

Why did you choose to be a Zoo Crew member for the CZ this year?
I love animals, and it seemed like a fun thing to do during the summer!  

What is it like to be a Zoo Crew member here at the Houston Zoo?
It depends on the area – In an animal section, you take care of the animals. In education, there is a lot more public interaction and teaching.  

At the Children's Zoo, Kaitlin designed and presented her own animal show!

What advice do you have for people wanting to become a Zoo Crew member?
Be prepared to work hard, but you get to see a lot of neat things!  

What is your favorite animal story?
One day in the Children’s Zoo, I got to watch Ariel (our North American River Otter) paint! It was so neat to watch Ariel step into the paint and then step on the canvas. She was also soaking wet, so it made it  very interesting painting. I absolutely love the painting, and I am definitely hanging it up on my wall in my bedroom!To learn more about becoming a Zoo Crew member here at the Houston Zoo, visit our Teen Volunteer page!

Brooke and Sifaka Infant "Sebastian"

Hometown:  College Station, TX

Department/Title:  Clinic Keeper

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo?:  5 years

How long have you been in the your field?:  7 years

Favorite animal:  Okapi. When I was an intern at White Oak Conservation Center, we had a couple of young okapi that were being weaned. Tulia was the youngest of the three and very sweet and small. It was always my favorite part of the day to go see the calves. After I had been at Houston a few years, we received Tulia into Quarantine. I was amazed at how large she had gotten! She has grown into quite the young lady. Now I get to see a whole new side to her and it will be exciting when she has her own babies!

Quote:  “Winning hearts and minds for animals” – Jack Brown SFCC Director

Special interests/hobbies:  Reading, Knitting badly, hiking and camping, kayaking, and I am also AAZK Vice President of the Greater Houston Chapter

What made you want to work at a zoo?:  I was trying to find my niche so I had a lot of different jobs, several of which involved working with animals. During one of my quests to find my niche, I was working as a Disney College Program student at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as a custodian when I happened to see a keeper feeding produce to the gorillas. I had never considered zoo keeping as a career because I’d always assumed that your family had to teach you the skills, like a trapeze artist. It just so happened that this particular keeper’s parents were zookeepers! Awhile later, I asked a different keeper how she got into the field, and they told me about the Teaching Zoo.

Education/training:  Associates of Science in Zoo Animal Technology from Santa Fe Teaching Zoo – Gainesville, FL

Previous related jobs:  Pet sitting, vet clinics, animal shelters

Advice to anyone wanting to enter the your field:  Work or volunteer anywhere with animals. Be prepared to get down and dirty! If you need to be clean or can’t handle dirt, you won’t be happy in this field no matter how much you love animals.

What is unique about being a clinic keeper:  The clinic is a little known area by zoo guests because we are behind the scenes. We are the ones who take care of the sick, new arrivals, geriatric, and injured. We are able to give special attention to specific animals that really need it at critical times in their life. We have the ability to rearrange an entire enclosure for just one animal’s needs, whereas that is difficult to do for a whole enclosure full of different animals that may need it another way!

Why you like this department:  I like working in the clinic because it is trying to find the order in chaos. Every day is different. We work with so many different animals that I get to use all the knowledge I learned from school every day. I love the challenge and thinking outside the box!

What is your education, training, and previous institution(s) you attended before coming to the Houston Zoo?
I have a BA in Music from the University of Houston. I worked internships with the Primate and Hoofstock departments here at the Houston Zoo.  Previously, I worked as a mule driver on a re-created 1870s canal boat.

What sort of advice would you give to anyone wanting to enter the zoo field?
Volunteer first to see if you like it – it’s more hard work than you might expect.

What is your favorite animal story?
Everyday while I’m working with animals something cute, funny, sweet or interesting happens. Probably the most inspiring moments, though, are the ones where I get to observe animals in the wild, such as coming face to face with California gray whales in Baja Mexico, hearing elk bugling in Rocky Mountain National Park and standing underneath a capuchin troop in Costa Rica.

Kristin holding our American Alligator during an Animal Presentation.

Name: Kristin Windle
Hometown: Lake Jackson
Age: 20
Section: Children’s Zoo Intern
Favorite Animal: Elephant

Special Interests/Hobbies: Dance: Ballet for 16 years and tap for 15 years

What animals do you have?: I have a dog named Grady

Education/Training: Certified Veterinary Assistant, Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in progress

Jobs: Veterinary Assistant for 3 years. I started as a kennel attendant and worked my way up to receptionist and then veterinary assistant.

What do you want to do in the future?
Apply to veterinary school to work with small animals.

Why did you want this internship?
I love animals, and I wanted to get more experience with small animals than just in a veterinary clinic!

What is it like to be an intern here at the Houston Zoo?
There is no typical day. There’s lots of raking, cleaning, and loving on the animals…a bunch of fun! And lots of sweating.

What advice do you have for people wanting to enter this field?
Work hard at school! Make sure it’s something you love and have fun at, or you might be miserable (although this goes with any job!).

What is your favorite animal story?
When I got Grady: I was working, and someone abandoned him at the end of the veterinary office driveway. I went out to get an appointment, and he ran right up to me. I loved on him for a while and got him set up in a kennel. We picked each other right then and there!

There are several ways to join in on the fun at the Houston Zoo! To learn more about becoming an intern, visit the zoo’s Internship Programs page, or to learn more about volunteering, visit the zoo’s volunteer page.

You will be able to see this adorable face up close soon in the John P. McGovern Children's Zoo!

These girls may be small now, weighing about 25 lbs, but in a few years they will be about 150 lbs!  That may seem very large, but Guinea Hogs are actually one of the smaller breeds of pigs.  Guinea Hogs originated from West Africa and have been crossbred to create their unique breed, found only in North America, making them a true American Heritage Breed.  You won’t find this breed in the wild, they are only bred and kept on farms and ranches.  Guinea Hogs are omnivores, spending their days foraging for grasses, roots, nuts and the occasional small mammal or snake. Once one of the most commonly kept pigs, there are now fewer than 200 remaining making them a critically rare, or a minor breed.  Similar to a wild animal being classified as threatened or endangered, the term minor breed is used to describe nearly 100 breeds of livestock in North America that are declining.  Many of these breeds, like the Guinea Hog, were once kept widely and played a major role in the development in North American agriculture.  Over time, these breeds have been replaced by specialized breeds to meet the increasing production demand.  Guinea Hogs have a very sweet and docile disposition, and are extremely receptive to attention and training from keepers.  Our new additions have been receiving regular training from the time that they arrived.  Being very intelligent, Guinea Hogs are able to learn new behaviors quickly, already mastering target and station, seen below.  This consistent training is not only important as enrichment, but is also helpful for veterinary check ups, lessening the stress to the animal and staff.

Target is commonly one of the first behaviors any animal learns. Here, one of our girls targets to trainer Russell's hand. She must touch her snout, or gruntle, to his open palm to receive a reward.

Our girls will be venturing out onto exhibit in the John P. McGovern Children’s Zoo very soon.  Check back to see how much they enjoy their new home, exciting enrichment, and learning fun new behaviors, and be sure to visit them soon at the Houston Zoo!

Visit the American Guinea Hog Association to learn more about Guinea Hogs.

To learn more about American Heritage Breeds visit the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Hometown:

Department/Title:  Manager of Special Events

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo?:  15 months

How long have you been in the your field?:  6 years

Favorite animal:  Big cats – especially Lions

 Quote:  “Two Roads diverged in the wood, and I –
   I took the one less traveled by.”
   Robert Frost – A Road Not Traveled
 
Special interests/hobbies:  Traveling – I’ve been fortunate enough to have already visited over 20 countries, working out, being outdoors, hiking, canoeing.  My family is Italian, so I lived in Rome for part of my childhood and again after I graduated from college. 

What made you want to work at a zoo?:  I wanted to work for a non-profit organization instead of a large corporation.  The zoo offers a great opportunity for people in my field because there aren’t a lot of positions specifically geared to planning a variety of special events.

Education/training:  B.A. in Organizational communication and media studies from the University of the Pacific with a minor in philosophy.

Previous related jobs:  I worked for the Museum of Fine Arts for several years then went abroad to Rome to work as a special events coordinator for a large events company.  I am fluent in Italian and can understand French and some Spanish.

Advice to anyone wanting to enter the your field:  Be organized, a quick thinker, and good under pressure.  Think outside the box and think ahead for potential mishaps and resolutions.  You want to be able to turn a bad situation into a positive one!

Something you want people to know about yourself or your position at the zoo:  Please don’t kill the messenger! Our department is just a middle man for either external clients or other zoo departments.  We are here to make everyone happy and that sometimes means asking for things even if we know the deadline has passed.  We feel as though it never hurts to ask, the worst that can happen is someone says no.  We do lots of different types of events, from internal events to fundraisers, 5k walks, corporate receptions, weddings, birthdays and many other events.  We coordinate events like Zooball, Zoobilee, Enrichment Day, Conservation Day, and many more!  If someone requires a table or chairs, we’re involved.  Just remember we are always here for you!

There are numerous career paths to choose from at the Houston Zoo!  To learn more about non-keeper careers, visit Leigh’s blog or the Houston Zoo’s Career page!

Hometown:

Department/Title:  Special Events

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo?:  1 year

Favorite animal:  I love them all, but enjoy the Meerkats.  They are the animals I see most often since they are next to several special events venues.  They never fail to put a smile on my face. 

Quote:  “Find life experiences and swallow them whole. Travel. Meet many people. Go down some dead ends and explore dark alleys. Try everything. Exhaust yourself in the glorious pursuit of life.” -Lawrence K. Fish

Special interests/Hobbies:  Working out, being outside, traveling, reading about WWII strategies and events.

Education/Training:  B.S. from Texas A & M in Political Science and History

Advice to anyone wanting to enter the your field:  Be a good communicator, proactive, and know how to multi-task!  This job involves meeting and talking to a lot of people with various backgrounds, so it helps to be a people person and easily approachable.  Be prepared for crazy hours and cautious not to step on toes.

Favorite Events- so far:
Gainer Donnelly and Desroches Event –  This was a very rewarding event because it was a lot of hard work and the zoo just looked magnificent.
Flock Events – They are just full of great people with lots of energy and a ton of fun
Bar mitzvah Event – There was one in particular that I got to know the people very well.  It was great to see their dream realized. 

Something you want people to know about yourself or your position at the zoo:  We have done around 200 events so far this year and estimate doing about 400 total.  About 75% of our job is working with clients.  Most of our requests are on behalf of others.  What that means is that it’s our job to ask.  We are here to make sure everyone is happy and things go as smoothly as possible.  Remember that we are happy to help and are always here for you!

See all of our venue options or contact the Zoo’s Events department at 713.533.6833, for details of Zoo rentals and programs.

There are numerous career paths to choose from at the Houston Zoo!  To learn more about non-keeper careers, visit Leigh’s blog or the Houston Zoo’s Career page!

Favorite Animal:
Turtles and tortoises, I have about 30 at my house.  One of my favorites was named Tank, a Sulcata tortoise.  Someone had found him at the Galena Park dump and we brought him home.     

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo?
I have been here 26 years!  I worked as a docent volunteer before I became a keeper.  When I was hired on, I worked in animal departments for 5 years including the Reptile building, Hoofstock, Primates and the Small Mammal building (now Natural Encounters).  I worked on the Houston Toad Project when it was first established in the early 1980’s.  I have now worked in the commissary 21 years.    

Phyllis loads grain in one of the zoo's expansive walk in freezers.

What made you want to become a zookeeper?
As a child I had an interest in anything having to do with animals and I was always picking up strays.  After working as a keeper for awhile, I moved on to the commissary and really got to see the business side of the zoo.   

How would you describe your job duties?
I am in charge of the staff that prepares food for the animals.  I order food for all the animals from our vendors and also have to drive to various places to pick up special food items.  I also manage the diet changes for the animals to make sure we have enough food in stock.   

What is a typical day like working in the commissary?
Each day is different.  The animals eat different things every day, so the diet preparation changes every day.       

What is your education, training, and previous institution(s) you attended before coming to the Houston Zoo?
I have a 2 year certification from Houston Community College’s Veterinary Technician program.      

What sort of advice would you give to anyone wanting to enter the zoo field?
Start as a volunteer, even as a teenager.  I have hired a lot of former volunteers.      

What is your favorite animal story?
When the zoo used to have koalas our supplier for eucalyptus was in Phoenix, Arizona.  Usually the eucalyptus was flown to the zoo.  Soon after September 11, 2001 all flights were grounded, but the koalas needed their eucalyptus! Our supplier was kind enough to meet us halfway, so I drove to El Paso, TX to pick it up! That was the longest drive I have had to take  to pick up food for our animals.      

To learn more about volunteering at the Houston Zoo visit http://www.houstonzoo.org/volunteer/!
There are numerous career paths to choose from at the Houston Zoo!  To learn more about non-keeper careers, visit Leigh’s blog or the Houston Zoo’s Career page!