Don't trust coworkers (pics inside)
- Thread starter Zoodiver
- Start date
Wildlife biology major.
But 99% of what I use comes from hands on work. It's priceless in this feild. Nobody really cares what you did in school (unless you're looking for a desk job). It's all about what you can do or what you have done - a solid reputation in the field will work wonders.
But 99% of what I use comes from hands on work. It's priceless in this feild. Nobody really cares what you did in school (unless you're looking for a desk job). It's all about what you can do or what you have done - a solid reputation in the field will work wonders.
recently our largest gator (6' and about to be shipped back to florida) managed to escape while the JCs were transporting him. Naturally, the little morons just let him run away, so I had to go searching for him. I eventually found him out open turtle pond/deciduous forest diorama, and just flying tackled him. As he was thrashing, he damaged one of our three carolina parakeet specimens. Luckily, this was the bad one, so no one made a fuss.(He was not, by the way, conditioned) The same JCs once spooked a copperhead so that it hid under the fridge during a photo shoot(not under my supervision), and I had to drag it out with chain mail on. They are currently on probation, and will not be allowed to touch another live animal while I have breath in my body.
Usually for me it is the other way around. People do not trust me because they don't think I know what I am doing because I haven't gone to school (yet) like Zoodiver has. I am only a senior in highschool but have been working with our opossum for two years, our porcupine for three, and everything else since I started. I am the youngest Docent/Naturalist (I'm a volunteer and on the payroll, it's nice) but I do a lot of the handling trainings with the new people. I hate when a new person from another department sees me for the first time working with an animal they can't use and they yell at me. haha
The first time I worked when a new keeper was working, she told me that our opossum had bitten someone before. I politely said "I know" but she said that I would not be allowed to use her. I politely responded "Look, (at my hand) and if you would like, I will lift up my shirt and show you where she got me there" Sometimes, I don't think that people want to listen to a "kid" like me, because they have a degree and are new, but I have been working at the zoo for 4 years!
Another time, I had to give a talk about our porcupine while the seasonal animal keeper showed her to the public. Let's just say the porcupine wanted nothing to do with the keeper or her treats, but ran down the wall she was being displayed on and tried to climb onto me. IMO, porcupines are awesome and very intelligent. Harriet even knows what pocket I keep her peanuts in, so one time she put her hand in and got herself one instead of waiting for me to have her target for it.
The first time I worked when a new keeper was working, she told me that our opossum had bitten someone before. I politely said "I know" but she said that I would not be allowed to use her. I politely responded "Look, (at my hand) and if you would like, I will lift up my shirt and show you where she got me there" Sometimes, I don't think that people want to listen to a "kid" like me, because they have a degree and are new, but I have been working at the zoo for 4 years!
Another time, I had to give a talk about our porcupine while the seasonal animal keeper showed her to the public. Let's just say the porcupine wanted nothing to do with the keeper or her treats, but ran down the wall she was being displayed on and tried to climb onto me. IMO, porcupines are awesome and very intelligent. Harriet even knows what pocket I keep her peanuts in, so one time she put her hand in and got herself one instead of waiting for me to have her target for it.
RadleyMiller;559715; said:
I should clarify something. I do not have my degree. I dropped out in my last semester to take a great job. Best choice of my life. It's not for everyone, though. I still take flak from a lot of guys who like to point at the paper in the frame and assume they have some right over me b/c of it. However, you can always learn from someone. I don't agree with them thinking they are better for the degree, but I do like working with other hard working people. 99 times out of 100, a degree is better when entering this industry. It is all about what you bring to the table. Igot lucky. Hard work paid off. But believe me, I earned my stripes the hard way. KNowledge is everything. The minute you start placing rank on people b/c of experience or education is the minute you have your butt handed to you. Everyone has something unique to consider when working together. A good team will work together to complement one another.
