Posted by: Rebecca Whitham, Communications
The late Dana Payne, a Woodland Park Zoo curator, poignantly summed up the work of the zookeeper in an end note he wrote for local artist Catherine Eaton Skinner’s book, Unleashed:
Happy National Zoo Keeper Week! If you've been enjoying the
baby boom at the zoo this past year, then you have our dedicated keepers to
thank. It’s their hard work in matching up animal mates, caring for growing families,
and keeping babies healthy that makes it all possible. Next time you
see a zookeeper, let them know what their work means to you and your family!
Video: Celebrating zookeepers at Woodland Park Zoo. Video by VIA Creatives.
The late Dana Payne, a Woodland Park Zoo curator, poignantly summed up the work of the zookeeper in an end note he wrote for local artist Catherine Eaton Skinner’s book, Unleashed:
“Those of us who have chosen a life with animals know we have chosen well. Having a conversation with a lion is a fine way to start one’s day. For that matter, so is tossing tidbits to a toucan, or medicating a cobra. There’s something there, in the lion’s luminous eyes, in the gaudy splendor of the toucan, in the cobra’s sibilant protests: it’s magic. It’s the stuff of fairy tales to interact with animals like these, even in a scientific setting, and in spite of repetitious, routine chores. You should envy us, for we are the most fortunate of humans—we take care of the animals at the zoo.”
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