Archive for the ‘Meet the Staff’ Category

Dec
26

Meet the Staff: Nathalie Jolicoeur

Posted by in African Forest,Featured,Meet the Staff,Primates

You can see why Natalie is known as a smiler!

Name: Nathalie Jolicoeur
Hometown: Quebec, Canada

Section: Primates- Chimpanzee Keeper

Quote: If you’re gonna be a bear, be a grizzly-When in Rome

Favorite animal: Chimps – I also train them.

Interesting Facts: I speak fluent French.  I haven’t been working here long, but I hear I am already referred to as “that person who’s always walking fast, smiling and waving.”

How long have you been in the animal care field and what institutions did you work at prior to coming to the Houston Zoo?
I worked with Chimpanzees at the Center for Great Apes in Florida for 4 years and at Seaworld in Orlando in the Education Department for 2 years.  I have been working at the Houston Zoo for 1 month.

What made you want to be a zookeeper?
I love to work with animals and I like the challenge they present.  I was volunteering at the Center for Great Apes to get closer to animals and I was exposed to zookeeping.  I was a psychologist but I wasn’t able to work with animals.  I was volunteering one day a week for a year before I was hired at the Center for Great Apes.

Natalie with one of the chimps she works with

What is your previous education/training?
I have my Bachelors of Science and Masters Degree in Psychology from Laval University in Canada.  I had my license in Psychology and had my own practice for a year and a half before I became a keeper.  All of my keeper training was on the job at the Center for Great Apes.

What sort of advice would you give to anyone wanting to enter the zoo field?
Don’t expect the perfect job right away.  Get as much experience as you can and keep learning. You always have to be constantly learning in this job.

What is your favorite animal story?
At the Center for Great Apes we had a baby Chimp named Stryker.  Bubbles, the Chimp that belonged to Michael Jackson, lived at the sanctuary as well.  Mother Chimps are extremely protective and usually do not let their babies wander off anywhere.  One day the baby ventured over to Bubbles, and his mom let him!  Stryker, this little 5 lb baby, was climbing all over Bubbles, who weighed over 200 lbs!  He would climb all over his head, pull on his hair, his ears, poking him in the eyes, and Bubbles never did anything.  Stryker would just hang over his head while Bubbles walked around, and Bubbles was always so patient and gentle.  When Stryker was done, he would climb back to his mom.  Stryker would also mimic Bubbles.  I have this image in my head of Bubbles pushing around a large barrel and Stryker following after him pushing a little can.  They had a really special relationship.

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Dec
03

Meet the Staff: PJ Jones

Posted by in Featured,Meet the Staff,Natural Encounters

PJ with just one of the many animals she gets to work with

Name: PJ Jones

Section: Natural Encounters Supervisor

Hometown: Granby, CT – I’ve lived for 4 years in Houston.

Total years of animal care experience: I’ve been working at the Houston Zoo for 4 years and have been in the animal care field for 11 years total.

Quotes: I love deadlines. I love the wooshing sound they make as they go flying by. –Douglas Adams

Favorite Animals: Although I’ve never been a bird person, I love the personalities of our Aracaris, Olivia and Pico.

Special Interests: I like the outdoors, especially kayaking and mountain biking.

Do you train any animals at the Houston Zoo?
I train our Acari and Binturong. Mostly I oversee the training of other animals.

Education/Training: I graduated from the University of Connecticut with an animal science major. I also worked at Disney in merchandizing to get a foot in the door so I could work at Animal Kingdom.

Jobs: I worked as a primate keeper for the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island and in education and commissary at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. 

What made you want to be a zookeeper?
When I was in college, I was going to pursue pre-vet for the money. I realized through my studies that I wanted to work in the husbandry field rather than medical, and that’s when I pursued animal science so I could be a zookeeper.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to be a zookeeper?
Volunteer and get experience in any way you can. Keep trying and don’t take no for an answer!

Interesting Facts: I love to participate in practical jokes! We once stole Brett’s (Sea Lion Supervisor) keys from his keyboard and distributed them throughout the zoo. He had to answer questions correctly to earn his letters back!

What’s your favorite animal story?
When I left the first zoo I worked at, I found it very difficult to say goodbye to the animals I had spent the past 5 years with. I was very sad and went to the siamang building to sit with our ornery old-man siamang and his very young son. As I sat by the mesh, they both came over and very gently placed their hands over mine and sat with me for 10 minutes. This wasn’t typical behavior for either of these apes and it was one of the most touching moments of my career. I’m so blessed to be able to work with these animals every day.

Written by Andrea Pohlman

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Nov
18

Meet the Staff: Dena Strange

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Featured,Meet the Staff,Primates

Dena takes a moment away from work at the Houston Zoo

Name: Dena Strange

Section: Primates Supervisor

Hometown: Houston, TX

Total years of animal care experience: 27 years total, but I’ve been at the Houston Zoo since October of 1990.

Quotes:
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. –Charles Darwin  This one helps me get through changes in my life!

And: Laughter is the shortest distance between two people –Victor Borge

Favorite Animals: Penguins! Although baby flamingo chicks come in a close second! In my own section, I love all of the animals, but for all different reasons, mostly based on the individuals rather than the species.

Special Interests: Handy crafts – I like making handmade jewelry, candles, and baskets. I love any festival and always go to Greek and International festivals as well. In my spare time, I like watching sci-fi TV shows like Stargate, Star Trek, Battlestar Gallactica, and Stargate Universe. I also love reading classical literature.

Do you have any animals at home?
I have four cats: Drusilla (Dru), Agrippena (Aggie), Clytemnestra (Clyde), and Euripides (Rip). The first three names are characters in Roman or Greek literature Euripides is a Greek author of classical literature!

Education/Training: I attended Southwest Texas State University and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology. In high school, I volunteered at the Houston Zoo in the Children’s Zoo section as well as in college I volunteered for the Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, VA which is an off-exhibit breeding facility for the National Zoo. While there, I had the opportunity to work with endangered species and get some true zoo keeping experience! I also volunteered in two other national parks during my college summers as an interpreter.

What would you recommend for someone attending college who wants to be a zookeeper?
Take any classes dealing with science. If you’re interested in primates, take anthropology as well. Any primate class will help. General biology courses will also cut it…do a lot of reading on your own! Just take any classes in science or behavior.

Jobs: I was a Park Ranger for Padre Island National Seashore as an interpreter (seasonal). My job was to do nature walks, work in the gift shop, and do programs for school groups.

What made you want to be a zookeeper?
Well, it’s actually an interesting story! When I was younger, I went to an Occupational Therapist. After taking a few tests, the results told me what I should and should not do for a career. I was told never to be an interior decorator, along with several other interesting professions. I learned, though, that I should work outdoors and would do well working with animals. So my mother signed me up to volunteer at the Houston Zoo. After working in the Children’s Zoo and the Conservation and Research Center. I found out that I really enjoyed the job!

Dena is the Zoo's studbook keeper for patas monkeys such as this one.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to be a zookeeper?
Volunteering is my best advice. It’s all on-the-job learning. We get thirty or more applications for every job posting, so if you have animal cleaning experience, it helps! If you have primate experience, it helps even more! We’ve hired a lot of our interns, so becoming an intern is a great stepping stone to getting a job in the Houston Zoo. A lot of college students are surprised that when they graduate, they can’t just become a curator. You can’t just walk into a curator position right out of school; you have to work your way up.

What’s your favorite animal story?
We used to have a Black and White Colobus Monkey named Zoe…she now lives at the Portland Zoo raising her first child, so you know this end well…

I’ve know Zoe since birth and when she was a young adult she started to develop cataracts in both her eyes. She adapted really well and was able to move around her cage, with lots of caution, she didn’t jump, but would climb or walk where ever she need to go, she interacted with her cage mates just fine and was able to find food by patting her hand around on the ground or in feeder baskets. Since the zoo didn’t have the resources back then and she was doing ok, we just monitored the progress of the cataracts, but one day a veterinary ophthalmologist from Texas A&M was interested in looking at animal eyes and was very interested and confident that he could do cataract surgery on Zoe. So one day, we loaded her up in a crate and drove her up to College Station where the surgery was performed. The surgery was long, but very successful. Even before we got her home, she was looking around her crate with renewed interest.

Once we released her back into her cage, it was amazing; she was looking around like she had never been there before. A few minutes’ later tears came to my eyes as she looked at her reflection for the first time in a shallow water tub and she touched the water to break the reflection as if to say “is that really me?”

Written by Candace VanScyoc

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Oct
16

Meet The Staff: Lynn Killam

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Meet the Staff,Primates

Lynn Killam

Hometown: New York, NY

Lynn just outside of Wortham World of Primates

Section: Primates Supervisor- I supervise the Orangutans, Lemurs, Tamarins, Mandrills and Guenons, Gibbons and Babirusa.

Quote: “The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of crudity and barbarity.  Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.” — Arthur Schopenhauer

Favorite animal: The orangutans, but I have a special affinity for Kelly.  She is so intelligent and very challenging. I have been working with her since she was 8, and she is now almost 30 years old.

 Animals you train: I train the orangutans for fun and for behind the scenes tours.

 Special Interests/ Hobbies: I love to travel.  I have been to Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Peru, Madagascar, Borneo, and Sri Lanka.

Interesting Facts: I love to volunteer.  I have volunteered at Hermann Hospital NICU (Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit) with premature babies, have done hospice patient care, and I am traveling to Utah this summer to volunteer at Best Friends Animal Society with their pot-bellied pigs.

How long have you been in the animal care field and what institutions did you work at prior to coming to the Houston Zoo?
I have been working at zoos about 35 years.  I worked at the Bronx Zoo for 4 years in the Children’s Zoo.  We had wild boar and domestic piglets and that is where I fell in love with pigs. After that I worked at the Philadelphia Zoo for 2 ½ years as a relief keeper, so I was able to work in every department.  I started out at the Houston Zoo nearly 29 years ago in the Small Mammal department (now Natural Encounters).  I transferred to the Primate Department in 1988, and became a supervisor in 1991.

What made you want to be a zookeeper?
When I was a child, my mother took me to the Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn almost every day.  From the time that I could articulate it, I knew I wanted to be a zookeeper.  I was designing Sea Lion habitats when I was 3 years old.

What is your previous education/training?
I attended Hunter College, majoring in Physical Anthropology, for about four years.  I became impatient because I wanted to become a zookeeper, so I quit.  I wouldn’t suggest that to anyone now!
 
What sort of advice would you give to anyone wanting to enter the zoo field?
Volunteer first; get your hands-on animal experience.  This job is not for everyone, so find out if you like it first.  Also, get your degree!

Kelly, the orangutan

What is your favorite animal story?
That is an easy one!  When Kelly was having her first baby (Luna) in 1997 I was the only staff member with her at the time.  It happened right in front of my eyes and I will never forget it.  All of the sudden she stood up and gave birth and we were both simultaneously surprised!  I was shocked because I didn’t know exactly when it was going to happen, and she was amazed because she had never done this before.  Her instincts immediately took over and she cleaned the baby off, and the baby quickly started breathing and crying.  It is difficult to describe the feeling for me, as there were so many emotions at once, but I will never forget that moment.
Written by Tina Carpenter, Keeper, Children’s Zoo

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Sep
11

Meet the Staff: Angie Pyle

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Carnivores,Featured,Meet the Staff

 

Angie and Jonathan

Hometown:  Huntsville, TX

Department:  Carnivore Keeper

Quote:   “Go big or go home”

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo?:  8 years total. I spent 4 years in the Children’s Zoo and 4 years with Carnivores.

Favorite animal:  Lion

Animals I train:  Jonathan (Lion), Nimue (Lion), Kan Balam (Jaguar), Kiburi (cheetah), and I’m a second on the Maned wolves.

Training Fun Facts: Jonathan is very challenging because he is not food motivated at all! Kan Balam is very fun and smart. You can teach a new behavior very easily.

Favorite Story: One day while giving our Tiger keeper chat presentation, we lowered the door to find a night heron in the exhibit on the platform where the tigers usually participate.  I had just told the crowd how tigers are top predators and very dangerous.  At that time we had two males, Jammu and Pandu, on exhibit.  When they came around the corner for the keeper chat, they were startled to find the night heron.  The night heron spread its wings and squawked at the tigers.  Our two 275 lb. tiger males proceeded to tuck tail and run towards their back area.  Luckily we were able to shift both tigers inside and save the night heron.

Special interests/hobbies:  Wake boarding – use to do this for a living, camping, hiking, anything outdoors!

What made you want to work at a zoo?:  Ever since I was young, I’ve wanted to work at a zoo. It involves two things I enjoy the most, working with animals and being outside.

Education/training:  Bachelors degree in Animal Science from Sam Houston State

Advice to anyone wanting to enter the your field:  Volunteer as soon as you are able! That is the best way to get your foot in the door and make sure that this is what you want to do. Volunteering in different departments also helps you to choose what area you are most interested in.

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Sep
04

Meet the Staff: Tammy Buhrmester

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Featured,Meet the Staff,Primates

Tammy in front of our Orangutan exhibit

Tammy in front of our Orangutan exhibit

Tammy Buhrmester
Hometown: Watseka, Illinois
Section: Zookeeper/Primates
Quote: “All social change comes from the passion of individuals.”

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo? 

I have worked at the Houston Zoo since September 2002.  I will be celebrating my 8th anniversary this year.
Special Interests/ Hobbies: Cooking, baking, traveling, and reading.

Favorite Animal:  I can’t say that I have a favorite animal.  I am interested in all types of species.  If I had to pick the animal I enjoy to work with the most within my department, it would be the orangutans and babirusa.    

What is your education, training, and previous institution(s) you attended before coming to the Houston Zoo? 

I attended Southern Illinois University and received a B.S. in Zoology.  While attending college, I worked as a veterinary technician and volunteered at a wildlife sanctuary.  I also spent a semester working at the Vivarium research lab and I participated in a 12-week internship at Brookfield Zoo’s Tropic World primate habitat.

What made you want to become a zookeeper?

I was very fortunate to have parents that appreciated nature and animals.  I connected with animals at the age of 8, participating in 4-H Club activities and showing rabbits, goats, horses, and hogs.  I had the wonderful opportunity to visit many zoos in my childhood.

How would you describe your job duties? 

I would describe my job duties as physical but rewarding.  I spend my time in the morning cleaning exhibits and the night house where the primates stay when they are not on exhibit.  I spend the afternoon training them for husbandry procedures, painting for enrichment, writing information about their day for their records, feeding all the animals that I am responsible for, making fun snacks for them (popsicles), participating in meetings, walking around and talking to zoo guests about the primates in our collection and preparing their night houses for them to come into at the end of the day.

What is a typical day like working in the primates? 

 There is no typical day in primates.  I have the opportunity to work with different species of Primates everyday.  Each animal have different needs, diets, and personalities. 

What sort of advice would you give to anyone wanting to enter the zoo field?

I would advise anyone interested in the zoo field to get involved as soon as they can.  You can start by coming to zoo camp and seeing what the zoo is all about.  Volunteering is one of the best ways to get experience.  I would recommend any volunteer to be prepared to sweat, get dirty, and handle things that you normally would not be exposed to.  When entering the zoo field, be prepared to start in a department that may not be your first choice – getting your foot in the door is the best way to get to your dream job.

Something you want people to know about yourself or your position at the zoo: I served as co-coordinator for the Houston Zoo’s Pongos Helping Pongos orangutan conservation project.  The auction of paintings created by the Zoo’s orangutans, other primates and elephants has raised more than $150,000 for orangutan and elephant conservation in Indonesia. 

Interesting Facts: I have taken care of three generations of orangutans in two zoos.  I am one of the few people that have seen and taken a picture of a wild Cape Pangolin in Kenya.  They are not normally observed in the wild because they sleep during the day and move at night.

What is your favorite animal story? 

One of my favorite animal stories would entail the wonderful addition of our first baby Babirusa.  When Remley came to us she was less than a year old.  She was adorable and won the hearts of everyone on their first glance of her.  She joined our older male Babirusa at that time.  They became pals and she looked up to him for knowledge and how to act like a pig.  Unfortunately, he passed soon after she came and we had to wait over one year for a new companion for her.  Jambi came to us in December 2007 and it was love at first sight for these two cute pigs and five months later we had a bouncing baby girl named Hadiah.  Hadiah was born in May 2008 and she came into this world weighing less than a pound.  Just like her mother she was admired by all from the first glance of her tiny little body.  I had the honor of watching her grow, discover the world, play with her mom, taking her first swim while mom watched very cautiously and becoming a fine young lady.  I was lucky to accompany her to San Antonio this past April and I hear every so often that she is doing great.  We will hopefully get news one day that she will be a mother.

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Aug
28

Meet the Staff: Susan Shepard

Posted by in Bears,Featured,Meet the Staff

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.

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Aug
21

Meet the Staff: Kaitlin McDonald

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Children's Zoo,Featured,Meet the Staff

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!

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Aug
14

Meet the Staff: Brooke Vincent

Posted by in Featured,Keepers,Meet the Staff,Vet Clinic

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!

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Aug
07

Meet the Staff: Joy Oria

Posted by in Keepers,Meet the Staff

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