Man, I Love Visitors.

Welcome back to Visitor Monday!

Today’s story, once again, comes compliments of Emily Bowling, Education Outreach Instructor Extraordinaire. That is her full title. 

Emily overheard this adorable comment in the Children’s Zoo Building. 

Small Child Visitor (while looking at naked mole rats): “Look, Mom, they have baby walruses!" 

Whiskers? Check. Lack of visible fur? Check. Small, beady eyes? Check. 

Ok, I get it, I get it. Sort of absurd but I can see the resemblance. A little. 

What do you think? 

Could a rodent truly be mistaken for a pinniped? 

Ah, the wonders of life at the Zoo…

Time to Celebrate Nina!

Happy first birthday to the sassiest little burro I know! Nina!

Nina was born one year ago today, right there in the burro yard in front of all the visitors! 

What a special day it was.

Now Nina is a grown girl. She no longer has her long and fluffy bangs, she enjoys taking walks, avoiding sewer grates, eating apples and having her daily fly spray and curry comb beauty treatments! 

We love you Nina!

Below, check out Nina’s first birthday photo and above a flashback pic from the very day of Nina’s birth!

Happy World Rhino Day! (sort of.)

This past Saturday was a very important day. 

My birthday. 

Just kidding. Sort of. I mean, it really was my birthday. But more importantly, September 22 was World Rhino Day! (I’m a little late to the celebration, I did have my own candles to blow out after all!). 

World Rhino Day is all about the important mission of saving and conserving rhinos. It’s a message we’ve all grown up with. Save the rhinos! Right? 

Below is a snapshot of my sister, Nancy, proudly wearing her “Save the Rhinos” shirt in 1993. 

Little did that four year old Nancy know that twenty years later that message would mean more than ever. 

Rhinos are in more trouble now than they have ever been. Why? Well, the value of a rhinos horn per ounce is now more than gold and more than cocaine. An ever expanding Asian middle class has created a market for the crushed horns amongst those who believe that rhino horns are either a powerful medicine or party drug. 

Now might be a good time to mention that rhino horns are made out of keratin. Same stuff as your hair. Same stuff as your fingernails. Rhino horns are no more going to cure your ailments than biting your nails. Yet rhinos are dying everyday for it. 

Here are the sad facts. Below are the number of rhinos poached in South Africa in 2007-2012:

2007: 13

2008: 83

2009: 122

2010: 333

2011: 448

2012: 532…so far

Do you see the alarming trend?! This is a catastrophic problem. A future without rhinos is a bleak one, indeed. Something must be done and fast. 

There are five rhinos species, at this time–White rhinoceros, Black rhinoceros, Indian rhinoceros, Sumatran rhinoceros and Javan rhinoceros. 

Three of these species are critically endangered, particularly the Sumatran rhino of which there are less than 200 surviving in Southeast Asia. 

But did you know that on June 23, 2012 a baby Sumatran rhino named Andatu was born at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary? Andatu was the first Sumatran rhino ever born in captivity in Indonesia and only the fifth born worldwide. 

Andatu is just a little, furry guy, but his birth means hope. 

So how can you help to save the rhinos? Support organizations like the International Rhino Foundation that fund anti-poaching patrols, which offer serious protection to our world’s rhino species. Or come to the Saint Louis Zoo  and visit our rhinos, Ajabu, Kati Rain and calf, Ruka to learn more about these amazing animals.  

It is time for everyone to take action to save the rhinos! It may take a little more than just wearing a t-shirt, but I believe we can do it.  

After all, that is what World Rhino Day is all about! 

And I am certainly game to share my birthday with a message like that. 

Post-Post Inspiration + Visitor Monday

In response to the last “Khaki Shorts” post I have been notified about the following organization:

Braindrain! Check it out! It’s an organization all about encouraging young people to stay in, live in and energize St. Louis. 

As a resident of the city, I’m sure our girl, Bubbles, would approve!

Finally, it is, alas, “Visitor Monday.” Today’s visitor quote is not so much funny as it just made me stop and think. 

While feeding the tree kangaroos today, a visitor approached me and asked “So, are you just doing this while you are in school?”

Fair enough. I am young and look it. There are a million reasons this visitor might have asked me this question. 

But it just made me ponder a bit. How many young professionals are asked (often) if they are just doing their job to get through school? Probably not too many. 

How many of you zookeepers out there get asked this question? Probably way too many! 

Sigh. 

On this “Visitor Monday” I just want to take a moment to remind all of our beloved visitors that there are many careers out there for young people.

Not all of them involve heels and lipstick. 

On any old day, I’ll take poop and mulch instead!