Name: Bob
Schooling: University of Toledo, Zoology
Official Title: Keeper II Primates
1. Which department do you work for in the Zoo? I work for living collections as a primate keeper and trainer.
2. What is the first thing you do when you get to the Zoo in the morning? When I first get to the zoo I receive my 2 way radio, I drive my zoo cart to the Nutrition Services kitchen where I pick up my daily diets. I then proceed to do a visual check of all animals I’m caring for that day.
Bess, our Bornean orangutan, loves to drape herself in palm leaves!
3. Who is your favorite primate to care for? What is his/her personality like? Right now my favorite primate to care for is Kasih, the six-year-old orangutan female. She’s smart, she’s funny at times, and she can be a challenge on a daily basis. But most of the time she just makes me laugh. Honorable mention goes to Franny the Siamang and Julie the Ring-Tailed lemur.
Primate keepers love to spread out vegetables in hard-to-reach places as a fun hide-and-seek game for the animals.
4. If you had to trade places with any of the primates, which would it be and why? If I had to trade places with any of the primates it would be Michael the orangutan. He’s a very mellow guy, he’s handsome, he maintains control over his family, he has four very nice exhibits to choose from and he loves food. He has a pretty good life.
Yes! You guessed it! That’s mustard and the orangutans LOVE it with their veggies!
5. What has been your favorite memory working at the Zoo? My favorite zoo memory is all of the 8+ years I was able to spend caring for and spending time with Duchess the orangutan who passed away in June. I have never and probably will never experience an animal with her personality and beauty ever again.
Keeper Bob taking the extra step to hide some veggies!