Jacqui Alegria
Published: March 3 2004
While many students here at PJC prepare for executive careers and dream of that big, solid oak desk in a corner office with a great view, the students of the Zoo Animal Technology program prepare for something entirely different. This hands-on and experience-driven program combines academics with practical work that leaves its students’ hands dirty and faces smiling in the sun.
The 26 smiling students of the Zoo Animal Technology program endure the same experiences as any other college student would, such as long lines at the bookstore, stuffy classroom air, and homework blues. One thing, however, that keeps their blues at bay is the thrill of knowing that their practical work will be done in the company of lions and tigers and bears.
In existence since 1996, the Zoo Animal Technology program works in partnership with The Zoo in Gulf Breeze as well as other area animal facilities like the Gulfarium and wildlife rehabilitation centers, according to PJC on-site Zoo instructor, Patrick Gault. With this unique set-up, students get the chance to put their knowledge to work in real-life settings under real-life circumstances.
The program not only teaches students necessary skills such as husbandry, nutrition, reproduction, and illness-detection, it also introduces them to an array of exotic and endangered animals from all over the world such as gorillas, orangutans, and chimpanzees.
A favorite animal for sophomore Linda Buie is Raja, a two-year-old Bengal tiger.
“I love all the big cats, but Raja is my favorite. He’s charming,” she said of the 350-pound cat that is not yet fully grown.
Buie, now in her final semester of the Zoo Animal Technology program, can be found doing lion and tiger demonstrations for the public at The Zoo as part of her education rotation. She has spent two days per week at The Zoo since January, 2003 to satisfy her practical work requirements. In addition, she also volunteers as a guest educator for The Zoo in her spare time.
The time she has put in certainly seems to have paid off when one watches her play a game of tug-of-war with Raja, watch him stand on his hind legs at her prompt, or hear him let out a slight roar when she commands him to speak.
This progressive relationship is a reward that has been a long time coming for Buie. To fulfill a life-long dream to work with animals, she decided to enter the Zoo Animal Technology program almost two years ago. After graduation, she plans to become an interpretive naturalist for a zoo. This job would allow her to work with the public and teach them about conservation issues.
According to program coordinator Joyce Kaplan, there are other jobs in the waiting after receiving an Associates of Science degree from the Zoo Animal Technology program. Although most students work towards becoming a zookeeper, others can go into animal training, zoo maintenance, or get a more advanced degree.
So while many students dream of having an office deep in the heart of that concrete jungle, an entirely different breed strives to make a difference for animals that belong in a natural one.