The AAZK American Association of Zoo Keepers, has designated the week of July 18 - 24th of July as 'National Zoo Keeper Week'.
"As the need to protect and preserve our wildlife and vanishing habitats has increased, our role as educators and wildlife ambassadors has become essential. During the third week of July each year, celebrate National Zoo Keeper Week; both you and your animals deserve the recognition." AAZK
The zoo keepers are the 'unsung heroes' of zoo life. So often, their hard work and dedication goes on unnoticed by the public as they quietly go about their business, cleaning out the enclosures, hauling in huge amounts of bamboo, preparing fresh fruit, taking weights and measurements of what the pandas eat and excrete and coming up with new ways to keep them enriched as well as keeping records of this. They must be totally exhausted by the end of the day. Keep in mind also that most keepers are assigned other animals in the zoo as well that they take care of in a day.
I think keepers are the best way to bridge the important information about zoo animals to the public and I wish more zoos would allow their keepers more freedom to interact with the public through articles, meet-ups, updates, and video blogs etc., on a regular basis.
THANK YOU! so much, to all of the keepers around the world, even though this is a national holiday, I would like to extend it to all keepers also. Maybe we can get a International Keepers Day or Week going.
Be sure to give a big shout out to any of the keepers you see this week while at the zoo and you can even email or call the zoo to show your appreciation for their efforts.
If you are interested in a career as a keeper here is the link for you to get more info. Zoo Keeping as a Career
