Page 29 - Gateways_2018_WINTER

A Day in the Life continued Gusic performing a regular health
check on a female spotted turtle at The Swamp.
Is there anything about
your job that you think
would surprise people?

A lot of my friends and family are surprised to hear
just how much goes on behind the scenes. For reptiles
at least, there are more creatures off exhibit than on
exhibit. They’re either behind the scenes for breeding
purposes, because they’re in transition (they just came
in from a different institution and we’re waiting to put
them on exhibit), because they’re too young, or
because they’re retired. There’s so much we’re learning
from these animals, too. They’re all here for an
important reason.

What advice do you
have for someone who
would like to become an
animal care specialist?

Keep an open mind. When I was younger,
I thought I was a “big cats” kind of person.
Then, I ended up spending the majority of my
career working in Pachyderms. I then moved to
Hamill Family Wild Encounters, where at first
I was like “yeah, goats, OK.” But they quickly
became my little babies, and I just love them.
They’re just so sweet. Now, I’ve been in
The Swamp for a little over a year, and I’m just
learning something new every day.

Every animal is so fascinating—if you
have an open mind, you’ll find something to
be passionate about.

BROOKFIELD ZOO | WINTER 2018/19 21