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All my life I have been interested in animals and zoos. Regretfully, the course of my life led me away from
the world of zoo work, so it was exciting to become a volunteer at Zoo Atlanta when we moved to Georgia. At
Zoo Atlanta, volunteers are not involved in the daily care of animals and, in fact, are not allowed to touch
exhibit animals or go into their enclosures except on rare occasions. But there are lots of other fun things to
do.
Besides being a general volunteer, I have been trained as an interpreter/docent, a tour guide and an animal
handler. I am also on the Enrichment Team.
the world of zoo work, so it was exciting to become a volunteer at Zoo Atlanta when we moved to Georgia. At
Zoo Atlanta, volunteers are not involved in the daily care of animals and, in fact, are not allowed to touch
exhibit animals or go into their enclosures except on rare occasions. But there are lots of other fun things to
do.
Besides being a general volunteer, I have been trained as an interpreter/docent, a tour guide and an animal
handler. I am also on the Enrichment Team.
General volunteers help with special events such as
"Boo at the Zoo," Beastly Feast, and Members's
Night. We also aid with private and corporate
functions at the zoo and assist with a number of
administrative jobs from data entry to answering
phones. Occasionally we may lend a hand on a habitat
project such as redoing the rhino mud holes or
errecting a new storage shed. There is a group called
the Horticulture Team that meets once a month to
help with "gardening projects" around the zoo. It's
fun but I don't have time for everything.
Our golden lion tamarins are free-ranged for part of
the year and last year I helped watch over them while
also interpreting about them. I am still involved with
them once in a while. They wear radio-collars so we
can track them in case they manage to get out of the
designated free-range area.
"Boo at the Zoo," Beastly Feast, and Members's
Night. We also aid with private and corporate
functions at the zoo and assist with a number of
administrative jobs from data entry to answering
phones. Occasionally we may lend a hand on a habitat
project such as redoing the rhino mud holes or
errecting a new storage shed. There is a group called
the Horticulture Team that meets once a month to
help with "gardening projects" around the zoo. It's
fun but I don't have time for everything.
Our golden lion tamarins are free-ranged for part of
the year and last year I helped watch over them while
also interpreting about them. I am still involved with
them once in a while. They wear radio-collars so we
can track them in case they manage to get out of the
designated free-range area.
The Enrichment Team meets for a
few hours every other week to make
enrichment items. We usually stuff
cardboard tubes and boxes with
shredded paper and seeds/"forage"
for the orangutans, make bamboo
"shakers" - sections of thick bamboo
with bird seed poured through a small
hole - mostly for the gorillas, prepare
pop-sicles (during the hot months),
and put paper mache on balloons,
boxes and whatever works to make
novel items/toys, from simple forms
and colors to more elaborate
patterns and fantasy animals for the
birds, felines and rhinos.
Once in a while, we weave hammocks
from fire hose that go in animal
exhibits and enclosures, make
elephant balls (also from fire hose),
paint backgrounds for exhibits, build
climbing structures and hang
rope/fire hose, as we did in the
Orang yard, for the animals to climb
on. We are involved in other special
projects as well. Some of us are
regularly working on, assisting with
and/or developing new enrichment
items such as an otter raft or an
elephant version of the "BusterCube."
A neat thing about being on the
Enrichment Team is that the keepers
very much appreciate us and many of
them not only visit us regularly (a
good way to get to know them and
hear the latest tidbits about the
animals) but also try to "pay us back"
by giving us unique, behind-the-scenes
experiences such as watching the
introduction of a new enrichment item
or watching a gorilla baby being fed a
bottle or maybe getting a special look
at the recently hatched baby snakes.
It is also very satisfying to walk
around the zoo and be able to say "I
helped build that" or "I painted that".
Recently, our team and the zoo
keepers organized a special
Enrichment Day where a lot of the
animals were given special enrichment
while keepers and docents gave talks
about enrichment and how it positively
effects captive animals' lives. We
came up with several fun activities
for the visitors that were enriching to
them too! It was a big success and
the animals got so tired/stimulated
that a tardy visitor commented on
how listless they looked.
few hours every other week to make
enrichment items. We usually stuff
cardboard tubes and boxes with
shredded paper and seeds/"forage"
for the orangutans, make bamboo
"shakers" - sections of thick bamboo
with bird seed poured through a small
hole - mostly for the gorillas, prepare
pop-sicles (during the hot months),
and put paper mache on balloons,
boxes and whatever works to make
novel items/toys, from simple forms
and colors to more elaborate
patterns and fantasy animals for the
birds, felines and rhinos.
Once in a while, we weave hammocks
from fire hose that go in animal
exhibits and enclosures, make
elephant balls (also from fire hose),
paint backgrounds for exhibits, build
climbing structures and hang
rope/fire hose, as we did in the
Orang yard, for the animals to climb
on. We are involved in other special
projects as well. Some of us are
regularly working on, assisting with
and/or developing new enrichment
items such as an otter raft or an
elephant version of the "BusterCube."
A neat thing about being on the
Enrichment Team is that the keepers
very much appreciate us and many of
them not only visit us regularly (a
good way to get to know them and
hear the latest tidbits about the
animals) but also try to "pay us back"
by giving us unique, behind-the-scenes
experiences such as watching the
introduction of a new enrichment item
or watching a gorilla baby being fed a
bottle or maybe getting a special look
at the recently hatched baby snakes.
It is also very satisfying to walk
around the zoo and be able to say "I
helped build that" or "I painted that".
Recently, our team and the zoo
keepers organized a special
Enrichment Day where a lot of the
animals were given special enrichment
while keepers and docents gave talks
about enrichment and how it positively
effects captive animals' lives. We
came up with several fun activities
for the visitors that were enriching to
them too! It was a big success and
the animals got so tired/stimulated
that a tardy visitor commented on
how listless they looked.
Docents are taught about all of the animals in the
zoo and the important issues that the zoo wishes to
educate the public about. We talk about a particular
species of animal, a group of animals in an exhibit, or
a particular animal subject and try to make people
aware of these issues. There are biofacts (pieces of
actual animals such as a tiger tooth) and other
artifacts we can use to illustrate certain aspects of
the animals such as how teeth are adapted to food
gathering and consumption, how camouflage is linked
to the environment, how a snake sheds its skin and so
forth. An Interpreter is someone who is only trained
in one section of the zoo, whereas Docents are
trained to cover the whole zoo.
During our training on African animals, we had the
special privilege of giving the elephants treats. The
end of the elephant's trunk is like nothing I have
ever felt before. Wow!
zoo and the important issues that the zoo wishes to
educate the public about. We talk about a particular
species of animal, a group of animals in an exhibit, or
a particular animal subject and try to make people
aware of these issues. There are biofacts (pieces of
actual animals such as a tiger tooth) and other
artifacts we can use to illustrate certain aspects of
the animals such as how teeth are adapted to food
gathering and consumption, how camouflage is linked
to the environment, how a snake sheds its skin and so
forth. An Interpreter is someone who is only trained
in one section of the zoo, whereas Docents are
trained to cover the whole zoo.
During our training on African animals, we had the
special privilege of giving the elephants treats. The
end of the elephant's trunk is like nothing I have
ever felt before. Wow!
Email:
| Volunteering at Zoo Atlanta |
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Animal handlers are docents who have
been trained to handle certain zoo
animals that are kept for the sole
pupose of being taken out among the
visitors. Different kinds of animal
encounters are conducted every day by
animal handling staff and volunteers,
and special programs and private events
often include encounters as well. As a
handler, one must be able to work with
all the animals in the collection. It is not
only about holding the animal, but part
of the handler's job is also to keep the
animals and the visitors safe during the
encounters. We have several snakes of
different types, box turtles, tortoises,
alligators, an iguana, a skink, a rabbit,
chinchillas, rats, prairie dogs and a
tamandua. We also have tarantulas and
millipedes which stay in clear plastic
boxes when shown. The collection is still
being extended.
In the pictures, I am showing and
talking about a chinchilla, and Mike is
doing a more informal encounter with a
red-tailed boa constrictor.
been trained to handle certain zoo
animals that are kept for the sole
pupose of being taken out among the
visitors. Different kinds of animal
encounters are conducted every day by
animal handling staff and volunteers,
and special programs and private events
often include encounters as well. As a
handler, one must be able to work with
all the animals in the collection. It is not
only about holding the animal, but part
of the handler's job is also to keep the
animals and the visitors safe during the
encounters. We have several snakes of
different types, box turtles, tortoises,
alligators, an iguana, a skink, a rabbit,
chinchillas, rats, prairie dogs and a
tamandua. We also have tarantulas and
millipedes which stay in clear plastic
boxes when shown. The collection is still
being extended.
In the pictures, I am showing and
talking about a chinchilla, and Mike is
doing a more informal encounter with a
red-tailed boa constrictor.
You can see more pictures on my zoo photo
albums:
albums:
Zoo Atlanta
animals.
animals.
Volunteer
projects.
projects.
Or check out other zoos I have visited:
The National
Zoo.
Zoo.