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Zoo InternQuest is a seven-week career exploration program for San Diego County high school juniors and seniors. Students have the unique opportunity to meet professionals working for the San Diego Zoo, Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, learn about their jobs, and then blog about their experience online. Follow their adventures here on the Zoo’s website!
It was the first day of presentations. My fellow interns and I were waiting to meet our first presenter. None of us knew exactly what to expect, and the anxiety in the air was palpable. The day before, I had been assigned to the conservation team; my job was to learn everything I could about our presenter’s experience with the conservation of animals. The pressure to create a positive first impression was immense, and something told me that it was a mutual feeling amongst our group. From the previous day, all I could remember from what I learned about our presenter was that his name was Peter, and that he was a zookeeper that specialized in reptiles. Before I knew it, our group was being led to the place where we would meet Peter. I followed near the back of the group, desperately trying to gather my thoughts and rehearsing the questions I would ask him and the notes I would take. As we waited, I imagined an intimidating, bespectacled man with a stern look and a sour attitude about being kept overtime to educate some rookies. So imagine my surprise when I was introduced to a smiling, welcoming man who looked excited to start the show!
He introduced himself as Peter Gilson, a zookeeper working at the San Diego Zoo with reptiles and amphibians. He gave us a little background knowledge about himself, and then accepted a few questions, with the requirement that we introduce ourselves as well. As I waited, I got more and more nervous, as the topic of conservation hadn’t come up yet, and almost everyone else had already asked a question. Thinking rashly, I raised my hand and blurted out my name, and that was when I realized, to my horror, I had stuttered. Feeling my face growing redder by the second, I stumbled my words along, asking if he had any experience with conservation. I instantly realized how abrupt and rude I sounded, but at that point all I could think about was getting the attention off of me. I expected multiple repercussions for my follies, but instead he kindly explained to me that he would be touching on the subject of conservation very soon, which gave me a little sense of relief. As we moved on to our first exhibit, the Galapagos tortoises, I reminded myself that today wasn’t supposed to be about making it through the day without embarrassing myself. Today was every intern’s first day, and this was the time to make mistakes.
To my surprise, the Galapagos tortoises were a fun group of animals to meet up close. Mr. Gilson demonstrated that they enjoyed being scratched, and the tortoises would even lift their heads and freeze in a “statue pose” to allow the person a better reach for their neck. The tortoises did this because, in the wild, finches preen their necks to help pick off dead skin cells. However, Mr. Gilson’s main focus was on the conservation efforts. He explained that the Zoo began a breeding program for the tortoises, and their first success was over 100 hatched eggs in 1920. To emphasize how successful they have been, Mr. Gilson told us about a tortoise named Diego that was the father of over 1,000 offspring!
Our next stop was at the amphibian building. Inside, it was humid and cramped. There were so many contraptions on the walls, that it made my head spin trying to comprehend it all. The hallway was narrow, so our group had to twist and turn to allow Mr. Gilson to move through the building, while also being careful enough to avoid bumping into something. The single hall was filled with glass enclosures for sick and travelling frogs,and there seemed to be a machine that monitored every possible variable, from humidity to water quality. If it takes this much work to take care of some frogs in a monitored environment, then how are frogs even able to survive on their own in an uncontrolled environment? After a brief description of what it takes to work in the amphibian building, we moved back out into the fresh air. As we moved to our final stop of the day, Mr. Gilson told us about a fungus called Chytrid fungus that targets frogs and plugs their pores, suffocating them. He explained that although they could treat it in a single frog, they were still looking for a way to stop it from endangering frogs in the wild.
Our last stop was the Reptile House. Mr. Gilson introduced us to the Fiji iguana, which is an endangered species. He explained that he has received grants that have helped him with the conservation of this species, as well as furthering local educational programs. He wrapped up the presentation with a call to action: anybody could help with the conservation of wildlife by doing a few simple tasks. Whether it be picking up trash, or attending a workshop on sustainable fishing, every little action helps. Unfortunately, for some species, it might already be too late. However, there is still time to begin making a change in the lives of an endangered species.
Coby, Conservation Team
Winter Session, 2017
It was the first day of presentations. My fellow interns and I were waiting to meet our first presenter. None of us knew exactly what to expect, and the anxiety in the air was palpable. The day before, I had been assigned to the conservation team; my job was to learn everything I could about our presenter’s experience with the conservation of animals. The pressure to create a positive first impression was immense, and something told me that it was a mutual feeling amongst our group. From the previous day, all I could remember from what I learned about our presenter was that his name was Peter, and that he was a zookeeper that specialized in reptiles. Before I knew it, our group was being led to the place where we would meet Peter. I followed near the back of the group, desperately trying to gather my thoughts and rehearsing the questions I would ask him and the notes I would take. As we waited, I imagined an intimidating, bespectacled man with a stern look and a sour attitude about being kept overtime to educate some rookies. So imagine my surprise when I was introduced to a smiling, welcoming man who looked excited to start the show!
He introduced himself as Peter Gilson, a zookeeper working at the San Diego Zoo with reptiles and amphibians. He gave us a little background knowledge about himself, and then accepted a few questions, with the requirement that we introduce ourselves as well. As I waited, I got more and more nervous, as the topic of conservation hadn’t come up yet, and almost everyone else had already asked a question. Thinking rashly, I raised my hand and blurted out my name, and that was when I realized, to my horror, I had stuttered. Feeling my face growing redder by the second, I stumbled my words along, asking if he had any experience with conservation. I instantly realized how abrupt and rude I sounded, but at that point all I could think about was getting the attention off of me. I expected multiple repercussions for my follies, but instead he kindly explained to me that he would be touching on the subject of conservation very soon, which gave me a little sense of relief. As we moved on to our first exhibit, the Galapagos tortoises, I reminded myself that today wasn’t supposed to be about making it through the day without embarrassing myself. Today was every intern’s first day, and this was the time to make mistakes.
To my surprise, the Galapagos tortoises were a fun group of animals to meet up close. Mr. Gilson demonstrated that they enjoyed being scratched, and the tortoises would even lift their heads and freeze in a “statue pose” to allow the person a better reach for their neck. The tortoises did this because, in the wild, finches preen their necks to help pick off dead skin cells. However, Mr. Gilson’s main focus was on the conservation efforts. He explained that the Zoo began a breeding program for the tortoises, and their first success was over 100 hatched eggs in 1920. To emphasize how successful they have been, Mr. Gilson told us about a tortoise named Diego that was the father of over 1,000 offspring!
Our next stop was at the amphibian building. Inside, it was humid and cramped. There were so many contraptions on the walls, that it made my head spin trying to comprehend it all. The hallway was narrow, so our group had to twist and turn to allow Mr. Gilson to move through the building, while also being careful enough to avoid bumping into something. The single hall was filled with glass enclosures for sick and travelling frogs,and there seemed to be a machine that monitored every possible variable, from humidity to water quality. If it takes this much work to take care of some frogs in a monitored environment, then how are frogs even able to survive on their own in an uncontrolled environment? After a brief description of what it takes to work in the amphibian building, we moved back out into the fresh air. As we moved to our final stop of the day, Mr. Gilson told us about a fungus called Chytrid fungus that targets frogs and plugs their pores, suffocating them. He explained that although they could treat it in a single frog, they were still looking for a way to stop it from endangering frogs in the wild.
Our last stop was the Reptile House. Mr. Gilson introduced us to the Fiji iguana, which is an endangered species. He explained that he has received grants that have helped him with the conservation of this species, as well as furthering local educational programs. He wrapped up the presentation with a call to action: anybody could help with the conservation of wildlife by doing a few simple tasks. Whether it be picking up trash, or attending a workshop on sustainable fishing, every little action helps. Unfortunately, for some species, it might already be too late. However, there is still time to begin making a change in the lives of an endangered species.
Coby, Conservation Team
Winter Session, 2017
