DAILY CARE
Keepers perform routine check-ups |
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At the Memphis Zoo, the job of a zookeeper starts long before our gates open for the day. In order to keep all 3,500 of our animals happy and healthy, the keepers put in a full day of work.
Some keepers are in charge of a lot of smaller animals like the keepers in "Animals of the Night," (the nocturnal exhibit). Others are in charge of several large ones like pachyderm keepers who take care of the elephants, rhinos and hippos. The primate keepers rotate who takes care of the orangutans and bonobos and who takes care of the gorillas, macaques and siamangs.
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"Chickie," resident artist of Primate Canyon
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They start by checking all the animals after their night's sleep and giving them medicine if they need it. Then, the zookeepers clean their yards and put them outside. During the day, the keepers clean the insides of the nighthouses and throw them things to play with - like toys and boxes. If an animal needs to go see the Zoo's veterinarians, the keeper will go along, too.
At scheduled times during the day, the zookeepers come out to talk to the Zoo visitors during their "Keeper Chats." The animals get treats in the middle of the day and sometimes another toy to play with. The keepers supervise their animals all day long, and sometimes train them (with operant conditioning) around mid-day.
After the Zoo closes for the day, the animals are brought in for the evening and given their dinner. They go to bed soon after it's dark outside.