Zookeeper Lauren Pulz gets the wart hogs, gazelles and spiral-horned kudus up and ready for the day with the enthusiasm of a soccer mom.
To the sounds of growling lions, Pulz is responsible for setting up the exhibits, feeding the African animals and cleaning their barns at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
“You never know what?s going to happen,” Pulz said while giving a head rub to Frasier, a male wart hog. “I?m petting him, but he is very dangerous and could make a sudden move. I?m always aware of the animal?s normal personality so I can detect if he?s a little off.
“It?s important to be able to tell if there is anything different,” Pulz said, in case the animals need to see the vet. “For instance, it?s a big sign if one of the wart hogs, Frasier or Kumari, isn?t eating.”
After getting to know each animal, training is the most important aspect of being a zookeeper.
“Training allows us to get the animals to perform certain behaviors,” Baltimore zookeeper Tammy Chaney said. By training, “we don?t have to anesthetize them, which can be dangerous, to treat a cut or give an injection.”
Training also “creates a wonderful bond with the animals,” Chaney said.
Zookeepers learn a lot about their animal co-workers during the process.
To train Frasier, Pulz and Chaney, “ask him for certain behaviors,” Chaney said, such as sitting or making contact with an object. Once Frasier acts on command, it?s important to respond with a noise signal such as a clicker “to let him know he is right.”
Pulz and Chaney then reward the hairy wart hog usually with food such as pieces of an apple or other produce.
“Learning the zoo?s physical system,” a maze of fences, sliding doors, runways, holding areas and exhibits, is a part of the job, said Pulz, who has been with the zoo for two months. “The fun part is getting to watch the animals up-close” and helping the zoo?s latest additions adapt to their new homes.
