Animal Advocate

I’ve always loved animals. When I was a kid, I liked to look at bugs in our garden. We also had a pair of eagles that would nest nearby every year, and I would sit and watch them with my toy binoculars.

Being around animals also helped me emotionally. I had anger management problems when I was growing up: I would get into fights and get suspended from school. My mom noticed that when we came to the zoo, I was always happy. So she encouraged me to volunteer there. Other kids made fun of me and thought it was weird that I liked animals. But I felt that, like me, the creatures at the zoo were misunderstood, and they just needed some love. That’s when I knew I wanted to become a zookeeper.

A lot of people think we just cuddle animals all day, but that’s far from the truth. About 80 percent of my job is cleaning. Zookeepers arrive at the zoo at 7 a.m. We check on the animals and give them breakfast, and then we clean the exhibits before the animals move in for the day. Next we clean behind the scenes where the animals sleep. It’s a lot of raking, hosing, and picking up animal waste. I wheel out about 23 kilograms (51 pounds) of hippo poop every day!

Keepers also help make sure zoo animals stay healthy. Veterinarians give the animals regular checkups, but they don’t see them every day like we do. So we’re the first line of defense. We take notes on each animal’s behavior: If it changes, that could mean something’s wrong. We give the animals medications if they need them and train them to do things like open their mouths so we can check their teeth.

Growing up, I had never really seen an African American zookeeper. I didn’t have that kind of role model for myself. Many people of color still don’t see people who look like them involved with animals and conservation. I’m trying to change that by getting my voice out there. I also love talking with people and hearing their questions about animals. When a zoo visitor asks a good question, I’ll write it down and use it for a video. I love questions I don’t know the answers to. They challenge me to look up things, and I learn more that way. I want to educate people and keep it fun.

This is our planet—not just ours alone as humans, but ours together with animals. Unfortunately, many of those animals could be extinct soon if we don’t learn to share Earth. We don’t speak the same language as animals, but I want to give them a voice. I hope that people hear the message and it inspires them to act.