Good day! My name is Melanie Hoff, and I'm a thirty-year-old zookeeper at the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand.
I've been a zookeeper for seven years,
but even now, in 2009, each day feels like a new beginning because you never know what to expect when animals are involved.
Right now I am working with tigers and cheetahs.
Last year something very extraordinary happened with our Sumatran tigers, Molek and Oz—they became the proud parents of three tiger cubs.
But before I get into that, let me tell you a bit more about how I became a zookeeper.
As a little girl, I loved animals. I had a pet hamster and two dogs.
My father was a veterinarian—an animal doctor—and every summer he would volunteer at the zoo.
Sometimes I accompanied him, and I would spend my time following all the zookeepers around, asking lots of questions.
I found out quickly that zoos aren't just parks where wild and exotic animals are on display.
Zoos are places that create public awareness about the kinds of animals in our world, how they live, and how to protect them.
In college I studied zoology, a branch of biology that deals with animals and animal life.
I learned how to classify animals—from starfish to elephants—
and by the time I graduated, I knew all about how different animals behave, what they like to eat, and where they live.
Classroom study is very important, but zoos need people with hands-on experience with animals too.
So I volunteered at the zoo, just like my dad.
Right now I am taking care of our Sumatran tigers, which are the smallest of all tiger species.
They are found in the wild only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra—nowhere else.
Sumatran tigers are threatened because of the loss of their natural habitat and illegal poaching.
Their habitat is being destroyed in part because the trees are being logged to make paper.
And they are killed because tiger bones are used in traditional Chinese medicine, and hunters want their teeth and claws for trophies.
It is part of my job to educate people about endangered species, but my first priority is to take care of the tigers to the best of my ability.
My day starts around 7:30 a.m. Every morning the zookeepers from the different animal areas in the zoo have a brief meeting.
We discuss any changes in the behavior, diet, skin quality, or coat condition of the animals in our care.
Next my coworkers and I prepare food for the tigers, which is usually meat on the bone.
We hide the food throughout the exhibit so our tigers can experience more natural foraging behavior.
Then, from 8:15 until noon, we clean the animal enclosures and the exhibit areas.
During cleaning the tigers are moved back and forth between the different areas or kept in cages in the tiger house.
Most enclosures usually have ponds and climbing surfaces within a natural-looking environment.
The water needs to be fresh, and all the areas where the animals spend time are secure and safe for both the animals and zoo personnel.
New animals arrive at our zoo all the time; some are from other zoos, while others are rescued from the wild.
If they are sharing an enclosure, they need to learn to get along with the other animals, so training is very important.
For example, a zookeeper communicates with clear signals,
which can be gestures or vocal cues, to tell animals to enter or exit certain sections of their enclosures.
At our zoo we have two very friendly Asian elephants.
Their keeper has trained these gigantic creatures to walk around the zoo and remain calm even when excited visitors scream with delight.
We also have daily animal encounters:
specified times when visitors can see and learn about some of their favorite animals—such as giraffes, orangutans, and even snakes—up close.
The keepers explain the animals' habits, what they like to eat, and how they like to play.
Sometimes the zookeepers will allow visitors to pet some of the animals, but safety is always a top priority.
It's important to remember that the zoo is not a circus.
In the past zoo animals were kept in small cages and made to do tricks to entertain people. Thankfully things have changed.
As you can see, being a zookeeper is a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun.
One time a television crew was filming at our zoo, and the soundman held up a big microphone with a fluffy cover on it.
One of our cheetahs noticed this fluffy thing and decided to play with it.
People burst out laughing. But scary things happen too.
One day I surprised a gorilla when I touched her, and she turned around and almost bit my hand.
It was entirely my fault, and I was reminded again that these are wild animals.
The saddest part of my job is when an animal dies.
I still remember when Nisha, one of our Sumatran tigers, died in May 2006.
All of us at the zoo still miss her.
But the best part of my job is when we welcome new animal babies into our zoo family.
In early 2008 Nisha's younger sister Molek mated with Oz, another Sumatran tiger, and gave birth in June to three cubs―two males and one female.
The entire country was ecstatic over the news!
Being a zookeeper doesn't pay very well, and it involves long hours.
So why do so many people want to become zookeepers?
Because we love animals and want to draw attention to the fragile planet we all live on together.
For example, fewer than four hundred Sumatran tigers remain in the wild,
so the publicity surrounding the birth of these cubs educated people about how endangered Sumatran tigers are.
Suddenly everyone wanted to help save Sumatran tigers from extinction.
Through education the public comes to understand the need to preserve any species that is in danger of being destroyed and lost forever.
I believe there is nothing more rewarding than my work as a zookeeper.
It is the best job a human can do for the earth and all its living things.