Panda Updates – Wednesday, October 13

As an animal care professional, the daily husbandry that we provide our animals is one of the most important parts of our jobs. We are responsible for everything from feeding and cleaning, to assisting in their medical care, to ensuring they remain mentally stimulated through positive reinforcement training and enrichment, among so many other things. However, at the Zoo, another important part of our job is educating the public about why the species in our care are so amazing and how we can help them in the wild. I recently had the privilege of speaking at an elementary school career day about these very things.

I was able to talk to some of the next generation of stewards to our wildlife. We discussed what it was like to be an animal care professional, the important roles that zoos play in wildlife conservation, and, of course, all about pandas and what the individuals who call Zoo Atlanta home are like. It was a treat to me to see how excited many of the kids were to talk about wildlife, and I even got some tough questions that many of the adult guests I bump into on Zoo grounds have never asked. This opportunity served as a great reminder to me of why I do what I do, and that this career is so much bigger than myself and the day-to-day tasks that we tend to be so immersed in.

Megan H.
Keeper I, Mammals