About Megan Neal

Growing up, I was lucky enough to spend the school year in my small hometown of Mission, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, and my summers in my mother’s hometown of Ballymahon, Ireland. Spending time on my uncle’s dairy farm every summer sparked my love of animals. While earning a degree from Johns Hopkins University, I began working with reptiles at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and birds at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. I also spent a wonderful summer on South Padre Island rehabilitating sea turtles. Upon graduation, I packed up and moved to Maui! I spent six amazing months caring for endangered Hawaiian birds, and am still a Kama’āina at heart. In 2004, I moved to Houston to be closer to home, and I’ve been amazed at the opportunities working at this zoo provides me. I’m a Senior Keeper in the Bird Department and a studbook keeper for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. I spend most of my time in the Tropical Bird House and in addition to the many colorful and interesting species in that building, I work with our Double-wattled Cassowary, Darwin, our Bateleur Eagle, Azuri, and the famous White-bellied Go-away Bird, Mr. McBouncy Pants. I have a special place in my heart for our hoofed animals, but ravens and crows will always be my favorite animals on earth. I have become very involved in employee safety at the zoo, and currently run the zoo’s Safety Team. I am also a very proud co-founder of the Flamingo Flocking conservation program, which raises funds to save the critically endangered Philippine Eagle.

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