Wednesday, September 22, 2004

You Know You Are A Zookeeper When You Get Really Excited About Good, Solid Poo

Sometimes I really miss zookeeping. Especially on days like today when the weather is perfect. Very rarely do I ever think, “Man, I’m glad I’m not a zookeeper anymore.” I can probably count on one hand the number times I’ve thought that in the past three years.

There are a lot of things I miss:
being outside
galapagos tortoises with banana all over their faces
watching baby animals grow up
building exhibits
practical jokes and water fights
assisting with vet procedures
hose tug-of-war with a bear
making enrichment items
totally gross lunch time conversations
being followed around by an emu

Of course, there are also things I don't miss:
primate diarrhea
being wet when it’s freezing outside
frozen rats, chicks, raptor loaf and other assorted carnivore diet items
various job related injuries
(But the perks of zookeeping more than make up for the not-so-great parts.)

This isn't to say that I don't enjoy the work I do now. I like most of my current job duties. I'm also learning an insane amount of information that will benefit me in any future zoo job. But in the end, a bad day at the zoo is still better than a good day at the office.

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