Zookeepers Are Sharing Their Most Messed Up Behind-The-Scenes Stories (25 Stories)

21.

“I also worked at a zoo when I was like 16 and I was the only employee working in a little cabin serving food in front of the sea lions. One particular summer, they scheduled me to work on my own there every single day because I was dependable. The sea lions performed a show at 1 o clock. On sunny days, I was too busy providing food for the humans during the show to see. When it rained, I was blessed. The zoo keeper that was in charge of the show had to show up anyways to feed the sea lions, and one zoo keeper had asked me ‘don’t you get lonely there?’ when I just started working there. I said ‘kind of.’ Ever since, when it rained, with no people there, she would go and perform the whole show specially for me. I clapped and cheered and she bowed at the end. On those days it was me, maybe one parent and a kid that ran by and stood by the cabin to shelter from the rain. They would buy ice cream and say I had a nice job. I never got to know the name of the zoo keeper but I am grateful to her.” — Atalaunta

22.

“The most dangerous and feared animal in case of an escape is not, as you may think, lions, tigers, or other large carnivores. It’s the chimps. Those things will rip your arm off and beat you to death with the bloody end as soon as they look at you.”—ShadyElmm

23.

“Next time you go to the zoo, ask someone which animals are ‘kill on sight’ in an escape. The answers will surprise you. Lions and tigers are typically on the ‘tranq and capture’ list, but a jaguar the size of a golden retriever is ‘KoS.’ The zoo I was with, the two jags were the only animals on site that were on the shoot-to-kill list. Even the silverback was on the tranq-first list.”—Nytherion

24.

“Our lions will urinate on guests if they get too close, which is always funny to see. Not so funny to smell.”—epshuche

25.

“Aquariums have captive breeding programs for some of the dolphins and whales, but they are too difficult to transport for mating. So they have to use artificial insemination. Which requires semen samples from whales. Which means that it’s someone’s job to give handjobs to dolphins and whales in order to collect the sperm. It’s part of the animal’s training, and the whales will roll over and present their genitals on command.”—plaid-lemming

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