Zoology and Conservation

[ATeutonicKnight]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place, but I just couldn’t find anywhere else I thought it might be appropriate.

Does anybody have any experience in zoology and conservation? I grew up watching shows about animals with my sister all my life, and I’ve always really loved animals and have always been deeply interested in wildlife (I have a soft spot for lions – my dream is to lie down and snuggle with one). I realized just recently you can actually get a degree in it and work with animals and work in conservation. I’m very interested in going into it, and was wondering if anyone had any experience in either or both fields?

 

[GEddie]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place, but I just couldn’t find anywhere else I thought it might be appropriate.

Does anybody have any experience in zoology and conservation? I grew up watching shows about animals with my sister all my life, and I’ve always really loved animals and have always been deeply interested in wildlife (I have a soft spot for lions – my dream is to lie down and snuggle with one). I realized just recently you can actually get a degree in it and work with animals and work in conservation. I’m very interested in going into it, and was wondering if anyone had any experience in either or both fields?

Don’t try the lion snuggling thing unless a) they are sedated, or b) you are already in the Life Everlasting!!!

Unless you mean the Lion of Judah, of course

ICXC NIKA.

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

Don’t try the lion snuggling thing unless a) they are sedated, or b) you are already in the Life Everlasting!!!

Unless you mean the Lion of Judah, of course

ICXC NIKA.

Lions are incredibly misunderstood creatures. They won’t typically just kill you because you’re near them or look fun to play with. My proof: youtube.com/watch?v=HB9RXjXoI7c

 

[nmgauss]

Lions are incredibly misunderstood creatures. They won’t typically just kill you because you’re near them or look fun to play with. My proof: youtube.com/watch?v=HB9RXjXoI7c

All carnivores are dangerous if not domesticated. How does anyone know when a lion or a bear is feeling defensive or hungry. Numerous zookeepers have been mauled or killed because they took large carnivorous animals for granted. Even full grown chimpanzees are dangerous.

Naivety in dealing with dangerous animals can land you in the morgue.

Norm G.

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

All carnivores are dangerous if not domesticated. How does anyone know when a lion or a bear is feeling defensive or hungry. Numerous zookeepers have been mauled or killed because they took large carnivorous animals for granted. Even full grown chimpanzees are dangerous.

Naivety in dealing with dangerous animals can land you in the morgue.

Norm G.

There are times when people are attacked when they weren’t doing anything wrong. Most of the time, however, it is because they are doing something wrong, and are mishandling the animal.

Also, there’s no such thing as a domesticated lion. Even when they are raised in zoos from birth, they aren’t domesticated, and have all of their natural instincts intact.

 

[nmgauss]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place, but I just couldn’t find anywhere else I thought it might be appropriate.

Does anybody have any experience in zoology and conservation? I grew up watching shows about animals with my sister all my life, and I’ve always really loved animals and have always been deeply interested in wildlife (I have a soft spot for lions – my dream is to lie down and snuggle with one). I realized just recently you can actually get a degree in it and work with animals and work in conservation. I’m very interested in going into it, and was wondering if anyone had any experience in either or both fields?

My first wife earned a Master’s Degree in biology and wrote her thesis on animal behavior. She studied how field mice opened acorns and other nuts to get at the food. As a child she had pet roosters and hens and dogs. She kept cages of mice and watched how they interacted with each other. In her field trips she learned how to trap rodents and kept a kangaroo rat, named Herman, as a pet. After she finished college, she worked as a volunteer in the nursery dept. of the local zoo. When I visited her at work, I got to hold a baby tiger. I also saw how vicious owls can be when being defensive. One day, she entered the baboon cage and was immediately jumped on by a young horny baboon (His horn was fully erect). As an extension student, she learned how to do taxidermy. For several years, we had stuffed squirrels and birds sitting on natural looking mounts on the mantel in our living room.

At one time, I was a professor of earth science, having taken several courses in ecology, geology, and physical geography.

 

[nmgauss]

There are times when people are attacked when they weren’t doing anything wrong. Most of the time, however, it is because they are doing something wrong, and are mishandling the animal.

Also, there’s no such thing as a domesticated lion. Even when they are raised in zoos from birth, they aren’t domesticated, and have all of their natural instincts intact.

That is why interacting with any large wild animal is hazardous. If you startle them, they may attack. Just try coming between a mother bear and her cubs. Try sleeping on the ground in grizzly bear country, and you may not see the morning.

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

My first wife earned a Master’s Degree in biology and wrote her thesis on animal behavior. She studied how field mice opened acorns and other nuts to get at the food. As a child she had pet roosters and hens and dogs. She kept cages of mice and watched how they interacted with each other. In her field trips she learned how to trap rodents and kept a kangaroo rat, named Herman, as a pet. After she finished college, she worked as a volunteer in the nursery dept. of the local zoo. When I visited her at work, I got to hold a baby tiger. I also saw how vicious owls can be when being defensive. One day, she entered the baboon cage and was immediately jumped on by a young horny baboon (His horn was fully erect). As an extension student, she learned how to do taxidermy. For several years, we had stuffed squirrels and birds sitting on natural looking mounts on the mantel in our living room.

At one time, I was a professor of earth science, having taken several courses in ecology, geology, and physical geography.

That’s really cool! Everything except of course the baboon part.

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

That is why interacting with any large wild animal is hazardous. If you startle them, they may attack. Just try coming between a mother bear and her cubs. Try sleeping on the ground in grizzly bear country, and you may not see the morning.

youtube.com/watch?v=MNCzSfv4hX8

Lions don’t strike me as the terrible man-killers everyone pegs them to be.

 

[SweetLambs]

All animals are unpredictable to some extent (some very much so) and even domestic animals are dangerous and can attack. It’s naive to think otherwise. I’ve not done much work with wildlife but I have extensive experience with livestock and can absolutely assure you of the truth regarding that. Even a sweetie-pie ram can kill a person; what makes you think that a very large predator cannot, even if it was only being playful?

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

All animals are unpredictable to some extent (some very much so) and even domestic animals are dangerous and can attack. It’s naive to think otherwise. I’ve not done much work with wildlife but I have extensive experience with livestock and can absolutely assure you of the truth regarding that. Even a sweetie-pie ram can kill a person; what makes you think that a very large predator cannot, even if it was only being playful?

I never said they can’t kill you and that they haven’t killed people before, I said they won’t kill you as soon as look at you, like so many people think. My parents own llamas – they seem very innocent, but they are in fact very ferocious fighters, and if you attack the herd of cattle or whatever they are watching, they will fight you to the death, even if it’s a pack of wolves. Domestic and wild animals can be dangerous, but they aren’t inherently so. You must provoke them, and if you learn what provokes them, you can stay on the safe side of things and appreciate them up close and personal. Do mistakes happen? Absolutely. But they’re not nearly as common as people think. Zookeepers go in cages with lions and tigers and other dangerous animals every single day, and they are very rarely attacked or killed.

However, as passionately as I feel about lions, none of this has anything to do with the thread about studying zoology and working in conservation efforts.

 

[SweetLambs]

I never said they can’t kill you and that they haven’t killed people before, I said they won’t kill you as soon as look at you, like so many people think. My parents own llamas – they seem very innocent, but they are in fact very ferocious fighters, and if you attack the herd of cattle or whatever they are watching, they will fight you to the death, even if it’s a pack of wolves. Domestic and wild animals can be dangerous, but they aren’t inherently so. You must provoke them, and if you learn what provokes them, you can stay on the safe side of things and appreciate them up close and personal. Do mistakes happen? Absolutely. But they’re not nearly as common as people think. Zookeepers go in cages with lions and tigers and other dangerous animals every single day, and they are very rarely attacked or killed.

However, as passionately as I feel about lions, none of this has anything to do with the thread about studying zoology and working in conservation efforts.

No, certainly I’m not suggesting that any animal is literally lying in wait to attack and kill you. What I am saying is that a certain level of comfort in dealing with them can cause one to forget that they are still capable of it. With your llama example (I know llamas! ), you know this, so you aren’t going to run in there and give them a big hug around the neck, right? You’ll want to always keep it in the back of your mind that it’s still a risk, which I am sure you know.

I’m actually very comfortable and good at handling intact male livestock (rams, bulls, stallions) because I can read them well and exude confidence and respect when handling them. I always remember though that things can turn bad in a hurry, so I keep an exit strategy in mind.

That said, I think it’s neat that you are fascinated by the field, and while I’m not actually in it, I do know something about it. From what I have heard from many in the field, job opportunities can be limited, so be sure that you are very competitive. When you get to college (I assume you’re not there yet, if you are, my apologies), obviously keep up your grades, and I suggest making sure you take a high science-courseload and keep your training on a larger scale. Don’t limit yourself. Definitely get internships and volunteer/work. Get a job at a university lab- wonderful, wonderful experience. Pad up that CV with good, solid experience in a variety of areas and cultivate relationships with faculty and others in the field. Get a good mentor who will encourage you through good times and bad and help find you opportunities.

Find out what opportunities are available and what you are interested in. Behavior, epidemiology, genetics, ecology, etc.?

I’m in Animal Science and am actually thinking about going into infectious disease research, and am obsessed with sheep, so I have some idea of what you are going through! Just enjoy and explore- I was positive I wanted to go into large animal medicine when I entered college, and my interests have changed somewhat (although not terribly much).

 

[ATeutonicKnight]

No, certainly I’m not suggesting that any animal is literally lying in wait to attack and kill you. What I am saying is that a certain level of comfort in dealing with them can cause one to forget that they are still capable of it. With your llama example (I know llamas! ), you know this, so you aren’t going to run in there and give them a big hug around the neck, right? You’ll want to always keep it in the back of your mind that it’s still a risk, which I am sure you know.

I’m actually very comfortable and good at handling intact male livestock (rams, bulls, stallions) because I can read them well and exude confidence and respect when handling them. I always remember though that things can turn bad in a hurry, so I keep an exit strategy in mind.

That said, I think it’s neat that you are fascinated by the field, and while I’m not actually in it, I do know something about it. From what I have heard from many in the field, job opportunities can be limited, so be sure that you are very competitive. When you get to college (I assume you’re not there yet, if you are, my apologies), obviously keep up your grades, and I suggest making sure you take a high science-courseload and keep your training on a larger scale. Don’t limit yourself. Definitely get internships and volunteer/work. Get a job at a university lab- wonderful, wonderful experience. Pad up that CV with good, solid experience in a variety of areas and cultivate relationships with faculty and others in the field. Get a good mentor who will encourage you through good times and bad and help find you opportunities.

Find out what opportunities are available and what you are interested in. Behavior, epidemiology, genetics, ecology, etc.?

I’m in Animal Science and am actually thinking about going into infectious disease research, and am obsessed with sheep, so I have some idea of what you are going through! Just enjoy and explore- I was positive I wanted to go into large animal medicine when I entered college, and my interests have changed somewhat (although not terribly much).

Okay, now I understand what you mean. Yeah, you definitely always exercise caution, especially if you can tell the animal is in a grumpy or non-social mood. And haha, yeah, with llamas, though I’d love to run up and hug them (My love language is physical touch), I make sure to always respect their need for space. I hand feed them, but that’s about as close as I’m willing to get.

I’m not really interested in genetics or epidemiology. I’m more interested in teaching people about animals, but with an up-close teaching style, rather than just a boring textbook way. I find it’s much easier to learn about things when you can actually see them, plus I just want to be around animals. I’ve just started thinking about the idea, so I don’t know what all the career and study options are. That’s kind of why I started this thread in the first place, really! Thanks for all the help and information!

 

[nmgauss]

Okay, now I understand what you mean. Yeah, you definitely always exercise caution, especially if you can tell the animal is in a grumpy or non-social mood. And haha, yeah, with llamas, though I’d love to run up and hug them (My love language is physical touch), I make sure to always respect their need for space. I hand feed them, but that’s about as close as I’m willing to get.

I’m not really interested in genetics or epidemiology. I’m more interested in teaching people about animals, but with an up-close teaching style, rather than just a boring textbook way. I find it’s much easier to learn about things when you can actually see them, plus I just want to be around animals. I’ve just started thinking about the idea, so I don’t know what all the career and study options are. That’s kind of why I started this thread in the first place, really! Thanks for all the help and information!

Have you heard about Temple Grandin, Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University? She is autistic but has managed to revolutionize the way beef cattle are treated. Documentaries have appeared on TV, and even a movie was made on her career. Truly Outstanding!

 

[Bruised_Reed]

This video is about a leopard seal, not lions, but I think he had a similar dreams. It also discusses conservation. It sounds like an interesting, challenging and frustrating field. The part about leopard seal is at minute 11:00.

EDIT: Warning! Dead Penguins.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Okay, now I understand what you mean. Yeah, you definitely always exercise caution, especially if you can tell the animal is in a grumpy or non-social mood. And haha, yeah, with llamas, though I’d love to run up and hug them (My love language is physical touch), I make sure to always respect their need for space. I hand feed them, but that’s about as close as I’m willing to get.

I’m not really interested in genetics or epidemiology. I’m more interested in teaching people about animals, but with an up-close teaching style, rather than just a boring textbook way. I find it’s much easier to learn about things when you can actually see them, plus I just want to be around animals. I’ve just started thinking about the idea, so I don’t know what all the career and study options are. That’s kind of why I started this thread in the first place, really! Thanks for all the help and information!

At the National Zoo the woman who working with the seals (at the time) had a degree in psychology, maybe child psychology, which she said was very useful working with animals.

And a friend has a degree in zoology and taught at an alternative school before going back to school and getting an MA in music composition. (FYI: way back when I first met him he was discerning his vocation, too. He’s married.)