Quite a nice number of Matschie's!
Have they had some breeding success?
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo Santa Fe Community College Teaching Zoo
- Thread starter okapikpr
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Have they had some breeding success?
Do you mean Bermuda or Santa Fe because I believe Kifauru meant to ask about Bermuda.
Orphaned Key Deer Fawn ‘Eating Like A Champ,’ Doing Well At Santa Fe Teaching Zoo
The college has acquired a federally endangered Key deer fawn. On a Facebook post they announced that his name is blue.
The college has acquired a federally endangered Key deer fawn. On a Facebook post they announced that his name is blue.
Jungle Man
Well-Known Member
I meant Santa Fe. I don't know how many are at Bermuda Zoo.
I did get that in the end. It seems Santa Fe TC still holds 3 individuals and I guess Bermuda probably only has the one individual (after receiving SFTC born male Adoni).
It’s been a while since it happened but it’s 2 now. Geriatric male PJ did get put down. He was the oldest living (not the oldest ever) Huon tree kangaroo.
Speaking of geriatric animals 17 year old Zeus the ocelot had to be put down due to discospondylitis.
A good news not mentioned here is that there’s a new gibbon baby is born and a 0.1 red bill hornbill has arrived.
I think SFTZ has a lot going for it. Although I think they should consider adding more animals. Here are my suggestions:
1. Add some American Flamingos to the wetlands boardwalk on the other side of the Alligators.
2. When Squirt the Guanaco passes away, replace him with some Barasinghas or Bongos. In the past, the exhibit housed Sika Deer.
3. Move the Asian Small Clawed Otters somewhere else and replace with another primate species or use it to house a bird of prey species.
4. The current Reeve's Muntjac, Grey-Crowned Crane and Asian Brown Tortoise exhibit and the one to the right of it can be combined and themed to an mixed species African Savanna with:
-Nyala/Lesser Kudu
-Thomson's or Grant's Gazelle
-Marabou Stork
-Grey Crowned Cranes
-Guineafowl
-Leopard Tortoise
or Temperate Asian themed exhibit with:
-Pere David/Eld's Deer
-Tufted Deer/Reeve's Muntjac
-Red Crowned/White Naped Crane
-Bar Headed Goose
-Asian Brown Tortoise
5. Establish an internship program with Carson Springs Wildlife for the zoo students to help them with their animals and gain experience with larger more dangerous animals such as the big cats, rhino, etc...
1. Add some American Flamingos to the wetlands boardwalk on the other side of the Alligators.
2. When Squirt the Guanaco passes away, replace him with some Barasinghas or Bongos. In the past, the exhibit housed Sika Deer.
3. Move the Asian Small Clawed Otters somewhere else and replace with another primate species or use it to house a bird of prey species.
4. The current Reeve's Muntjac, Grey-Crowned Crane and Asian Brown Tortoise exhibit and the one to the right of it can be combined and themed to an mixed species African Savanna with:
-Nyala/Lesser Kudu
-Thomson's or Grant's Gazelle
-Marabou Stork
-Grey Crowned Cranes
-Guineafowl
-Leopard Tortoise
or Temperate Asian themed exhibit with:
-Pere David/Eld's Deer
-Tufted Deer/Reeve's Muntjac
-Red Crowned/White Naped Crane
-Bar Headed Goose
-Asian Brown Tortoise
5. Establish an internship program with Carson Springs Wildlife for the zoo students to help them with their animals and gain experience with larger more dangerous animals such as the big cats, rhino, etc...
I don't think SFTZ could afford to expand the pond to add flamingoes. A more reasonable suggestion is to exhibit the key deer fawn they had on last year on the other half of the pond since the pond and some nearby exhibits (FL aviary, Gopher tortoises, Herp house) display a great variety of FL wildlife.
Also to my knowledge SFTZ was one of the later zoos to open due to the pandemic. So even with college funding, I don't think they would be just able to afford new animals.
I do recall seeing tamers in the leopard tortoise exhibit. There may be plans to get a hoofstock species. I personally believe that it will be springboks before they get anything new. Deer other than muntjac are definitely out of question due to FL ban on importing live deer. But then again, I don't know all the deer species kept in Florida AZA zoos that are not muntjac nor white tails.
To finish my reply, I have a "gut feeling" that a collaboration with Carson Springs is a farfetched dream.
I am considering enrolling as a student in this program. I am choosing between a number of schools, but the possibility of getting such hands on experience is hard to resist.
I already brought up Zeus.
Months after the birth of Cusa, the zoo welcomes a new baby gibbon on July 18 2021
I knew a few keepers that came from their program, they were happy with it overall. The hands on is a big deal, and a potential leg up in hiring if you don't have a lot of volunteer hands on at other places.
Other news in 2021:
On February 9th, the zoo announced the deaths of a (1.0) red-ruffed lemur named Moili (which passed on January 19th due to underlying health problems) and a (1.0) yellow-crowned Amazon parrot named Lorenzo (who passed away due to humane euthanization).
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On February 18th, the zoo announced they have redesigned their exhibit for their common kingsnakes.
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On June 12th, the zoo announced it has acquired a (1.0) common squirrel monkey named Rocky from the Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in California.
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On July 12th, the zoo announced that their Florida walk-through aviary has been reopened to the public.
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo on Facebook Watch
On August 26th, the zoo announced that their (1.0) key deer named Blue is now in his public exhibit for the first time.
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On October 25th, the zoo announced the name of their (1.0) white-handed gibbon that was born in December 2020, Cusa.
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On November 3rd, the zoo announced the death of a (1.0) common squirrel monkey named Leo due to complications with spondylosis.
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On February 9th, the zoo announced the deaths of a (1.0) red-ruffed lemur named Moili (which passed on January 19th due to underlying health problems) and a (1.0) yellow-crowned Amazon parrot named Lorenzo (who passed away due to humane euthanization).
Log in or sign up to view
On February 18th, the zoo announced they have redesigned their exhibit for their common kingsnakes.
Log in or sign up to view
On June 12th, the zoo announced it has acquired a (1.0) common squirrel monkey named Rocky from the Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in California.
Log in or sign up to view
On July 12th, the zoo announced that their Florida walk-through aviary has been reopened to the public.
Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo on Facebook Watch
On August 26th, the zoo announced that their (1.0) key deer named Blue is now in his public exhibit for the first time.
Log in or sign up to view
On October 25th, the zoo announced the name of their (1.0) white-handed gibbon that was born in December 2020, Cusa.
Log in or sign up to view
On November 3rd, the zoo announced the death of a (1.0) common squirrel monkey named Leo due to complications with spondylosis.
Log in or sign up to view
A breeding pair of North American wood ducks are now in the Florida aviary.
In 2022 for $5 a person the zoo is planning on including a spoonbill feeding experience in their FL aviary. The experience is limited to 3 participants so that the birds will be more likely to participate. I'm so excited for this!!!
Santa Fe College
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Santa Fe College
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That makes sense, do you know if their current lack of a bachelor program was of hindrance to these keepers?
I will be completely honest, many keepers don't stay in animal care for their entire working careers. Most of the people I knew moved on to things like the Parks Service or unrelated fields after 5-10 years in animal care.
It is a relatively low paying and long hour career with odd hours. When I was there the keepers worked 4 days a week (not always in order) 6AM-6PM, the new person had to work holidays and all weekends (animals still need to be fed and cleaned on Christmas) and if there was a hurricane then people had to stay at the zoo with the animals.
The ones that I know that are still in animal care are varied. Several are still keepers, one is a curator, and one is an administrator at a city zoo. The administrator and curator both have their bachelors. I am not sure of the numbers of people that go on to get a 4 year degree after completing a program like Santa Fe, but I would imagine the ones that desire to move past a keeper 1 or 2 level and into admin or as a curator are going to need a degree. Many keepers do both from the start, with degrees like biology, chemistry, or general degrees.
Without a degree or an "in" at a facility, one will be competing against other people that have the degree, certificate, and volunteer experience.
However, I also know of people that volunteered frequently for several years, then interned, then got a keeper 1 job. So, you don't have to have a degree in this, but you do have to put in a lot of time.
Ideally one would volunteer, get the zoo certificate, intern at a zoo over the summer, complete the bachelors and then apply.
Okay that makes sense, thank you for the information. Working in wildlife conservation has always been a dream of mine, however the competitive and relatively low paying nature of the field certainly is intimidating. My current hope is that I get an internship at a local zoo I applied for over the summer, then attend SantaFe in the fall.