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Emily Venckus Photos above: Emily Venckus, senior keeper of birds, spends her days
caring for the penguins and other birds in The Living Coast.
Senior Keeper Far right: Venckus releases a pelican into the Formal Pool following
Birds the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Brookfield Zoo provided a
home for five pelicans rescued from this disaster.
What’s your favorite
part of your job?

I think my favorite part is getting to know each
individual animal on a personal level. They may
all seem the same at first glance—especially the
birds—but when you work daily with them you
get to notice that each has different behaviors and
temperaments. It’s really neat and special to be able
to say that I know the differences between each and
every one of the animals in my care. It also helps
me to do my job better, because I can easily pick
up on any unusual behaviors for a specific animal
that could indicate sickness or another issue.

22 GATEWAYS | A DAY IN THE LIFE