65 Untold Stories from Zoological Gardens Pt 1

Anyone who has worked in a zoo certainly has a story or two to tell. Some good, some bad. Some you either can believe or not. By the way, if any of the quotes had a curse word in it, I dashed out the letters so that you would know it was a curse word without knowing which one. I wanted to make sure the quotes were word for word, but have to take some protection with the swearing involved

1. Problems with Peacocks

-Peacocks are beautiful birds with a call some refer to as annoying. But, unfortunately, some peacock thought it was a good idea to go and have a friendly conversation with the local king of the jungle, the lions. One zookeeper said "Those free-roaming peacocks are really stupid and sometimes go in the lions exhibit and get torn up."

2. Chimp Fury

-You'd never know chimpanzees could be so aggressive. In addition to throwing fecal matter, they will fight back, as would any animal. Most thought they were only cute apes, but one zookeeper was scared out of their mind when they seen just how aggressive chimpanzees can get. One zookeeper said "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."

3. Don't Look Up

-Beware of parrots!! They will defecate on you if you look up. On zookeeper noted how these birds seem to rival even the most expert marksmen when it comes to landing their feces on someone. One zookeeper said "When you're cleaning underneath the perches, parrots will wait for you to look up before taking a s---. They have good aim. That's how you get s--- in the mouth. Don't look up."

4. Beware of Zebras

-Who knew these adorable black and white striped horses could be aggressive? One zookeeper found out that when zebras and kangaroos go head to head, one is coming out victorious, the other...not so much. One zookeeper said "The zebras are ruthless and will tear apart any unfortunate kangaroo that dares break into an enclosure. They love the thrill of the chase...and the subsequent kill when they get bored."

5. Not the smell you should be worried about...

-Not only are lions the king of the jungle, they also seem to have a sense of humor that just makes you love them more. But, as with any animal, it is unpleasant when you get doused in animal waste matter. One zookeeper said "Our lions will urinate on guests if they get too close, which is always funny to see. Not so funny to smell."

6. Flashbacks to High School

-Jealousy much? The person who said this is obviously a zookeeper and sounds to be pretty jealous of the dolphin workers. That same person said "The dolphin trainers are stuck up. They are like the jocks in high school. They usually try to stay in shape because wetsuits aren't flattering. They perform daily and people love them, so they have an ego."

7. This will scar a child for life...

-When you're a little kid, and you see fluffy little baby chickens, your first instinct is to think they are adorable and want to care for them. One zookeeper has a dark story related to that that will scar a child or even traumatize them for the rest of their lives. One zookeeper said "One of our most popular exhibits was this incubator with baby chicks. We were told to tell visitors that the old baby chicks would be sent to schools as classroom pets or to the petting zoo. In reality, we did send the chicks to the zoo...as live animal feed for the snakes and other carnivores."

8. Nothing Goes to Waste

-It's weird to think how things get recycled in zoos, even animals who have passed on to the great animal kingdom in the sky are put to use. One zookeeper said "Dead zoo animals are sometimes fed to carnivores."

9. What's That Smell?

-In a zoo, that question could be answered with anything. Working in a zoo, you could be hit with all sorts of smells. Animal waste matter. Dirty animals. Raw meat fed to the carnivores. And more. One zookeeper said "If you work with the animals, there's a good chance you'll not be able to have any kind of social life, between the long hours/weekends and the stench. I've been kicked out of stores after work because I apparently stunk way worse than I thought I did - even after scrubbing off."

10. Baby Showers in the Animal World

-Welcoming a baby into the world is usually a happy, positive experience. In the animal world, animals who bring babies into the world usually don't get the level of fanfare as humans do. One zookeeper had an eye opening experience working with baboons. They said "We closed the baboon exhibit because a baboon had a still birth and the troupe was "grieving". In reality they were throwing parts of the infant corpse around and there was nothing we could do about it."

11. Just for attention

-Lions are creatures that are known as the kings of the jungle. Some kids get scared when they tap on the glass; in kids' minds, they can get through the glass while others are incredibly awestruck that the lions do this.. One zookeeper destroys the getting through glass childhood theory by stating "Lions know fully well that they can't get through the glass. They do that just to get attention."

12. Extinction is nearing...

-Hyenas are one of those interesting creatures from the African Savannah. They often eat anything, not leaving much behind. But who knew these creatures were unable to find a hyena to mate with? One zookeeper was baffled by this theory and stated "Because their external genitalia looks similar, many spotted hyena populations are facing extinction to groups being made of the same sex."

13. Even camels have senses of humor

-If animals could talk, I bet it would be hysterical. Some, if not all animals have quirks and personalities like humans. One zookeeper noted that a camel in the zoo where they worked enjoyed seeing people get a quick zap on the electric fence surrounding his enclosure. This zookeeper said "When I worked on the grounds crew at a zoo, there was a camel who thought it was hysterical to nudge people into the electric fence. When we would trim the moat around his enclosure, He liked to reach his neck out and hook you just hard enough to stumble and get yourself shocked."

14. The Stages of Grieving...for monkeys

-Sometimes animals will adopt other baby animals and care for them as if they were their own. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes not. One zookeeper noted it didn't work out for one animal. "I worked with wild macaques for a while, and when a baby died the mother would sometimes carry it around for days. Some females would also steal live babies and carry them around like they were their own. Except they couldn't nurse them, so they'd slowly starve to death. A few even stole baby raccoons, and that didn't go well, either."

15. Heads Up!

-Giraffes using their heads as weapons? That's a new take on using your head. One zookeeper noted "The most scary to me were the giraffes. Back then you went into the enclosure with them and they'd sometimes swing their heads around and try to hit you just to be p----s. You had to be careful."

16. Sorry, Pal

-Animals are living, breathing creatures. They are not show performers who can perform some cute trick at the drop of a hat or on the snap of fingers by a zookeeper. I can definitely understand the frustration of the zookeeper. I can say, without a shred of doubt, that I have a cousin who worked at the local zoo, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden while he was getting his Bachelor's Degree in Zoology from the local university, the University of Cincinnati. He worked as a zookeeper during that time and he encountered frustrating situations. He often had fellow zookeepers with him trying to manage the giraffe enclosure and, on a daily basis, had to keep telling parents to control their kids climbing on the fence of the giraffe lookout. It was a raised area about 20 feet above the ground and if a kid fell, that was going to do some damage. They had to keep telling the parents to get off their phones and control their kids. One zookeeper even mentioned the local gorilla Harambe, who was shot by zookeepers because some kid fell into the gorilla enclosure because the kid's mom was on the phone, probably texting or checking social media and was getting dragged around by Harambe because everyone was yelling and creating a stressful situation. One zookeeper mentioned this situation by saying "It's because of idiot parents like you that a beautiful creature like Harambe was shot!"

-The zookeeper who donated this quote had this to say. "The amount of dumb a--es who complain to management about paying to go to the zoo then not seeing any animals is unreal! Like, what do you want us to do? Go in there with sticks and chase them out of their hidey-holes? Sorry, buddy, not going to happen."

17. People Ruin Everything

-Truer words were never spoken!! My God, if this isn't the truth, I don't know what is!! Visitors to zoos cause all sorts of aches and pains because they either don't listen to the rules or cause some other form of controversy or chaos. And it gets worse when they bring their kids and let them run rampant because they are too focused on social media or texting. One zookeeper noted "The job would actually be fantastic if they didn't let people into the zoo." This is a bit of a double edged sword. One side of the sword says you have to have people to bring in money otherwise you're not getting paid. The other side of that sword says that without people, you won't have controversy, like the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden shooting of gorilla Harambe because the mother of the child who was injured was not paying attention to her child but instead her phone

18. Rinse and Repeat

-Sounds like directions to use shampoo right? Since this is on a page involving zoo animals, you know animals and water are going to mix here. There's a lot of work into being a zookeeper. It involves a lot of dirty work, but at the end of the day, even when you stink to high heaven, you can rest assured that the beautiful creatures under your care have been properly cared for. One zookeeper noted "Most of the zookeeping is just picking up poop and making/delivering food."

19. Monkey Business

-This will involve, you guessed it, monkeys!! Monkeys are mischievous little pranksters and are known for throwing fecal matter. It's why they put some monkeys behind glass-to avoid fecal matter throwing and to prevent idiot zoo goers and their misbehaved children from bothering the animals. But, even glass won't stop children from pestering the animals. I have seen proof. At the local Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, there was a recent addition to the zoo. Gorilla World (my all time favorite spot in the zoo with Jungle Trails following close behind because there are orangutans on the Jungle Trails). This new gorilla enclosure includes an indoor area set with the right temperature to make those beautiful gorillas feel right at home. There are incredibly strong panes of glass in the windows so you can see the gorillas. They are said to be "gorilla proof" considering that's over 500 pounds of muscle staring at you. I saw a kid banging on the glass and the gorilla got even and banged right back and scared the life out of the kid. The kid's mom gave me a dirty look simply because I had the audacity to laugh out loud. My sister and me cracked up to no end. I even told the woman "that's what your kid gets for banging on the glass. It says clearly "don't tap on glass". You should be thankful that glass is there and it's strong. If it was not strong, your kid would be in trouble. We all would."

-One zookeeper has made it their mission to now avoid the monkey enclosure at their zoo. This zookeeper noted ""Be careful walking by the open-air monkey enclosures, because poop isn't the only thing they'll fling at you. It's like that scene from Silence of the Lambs, when Clarice is going to see Hannibal Lecter...you know the scene I mean. Only much, much worse."

20. What's That Fishy Smell?

-Working on cleaning out duck ponds must be interesting. In addition to clearing out all of the duckweed threatening to smother the pond, zookeepers also deal with stinky clothing. Working with the penguins, however, ensures you're going to smell like rotting, stinky fish for a while. One zookeeper noted "The poor penguin keepers can never quite get rid of the miasma of dead fish that envelopes them. As for me, the stinkiest job I ever had to do was cleaning out the duck ponds. Managed to empty a whole train carriage that evening, even though I had changed and my work clothes were double bagged."

21. Women, Beware!

-Monkeys are mischievous little devils. They are curious, like the famed monkey George. One zookeeper noted that they are also interested in humans in more ways than one. This zookeeper noted "Monkeys will, in fact, try to have s*x with a female human if there is an opportunity to. The more you know."

22. Playful Heart

-We all know animals all have a playful side. That side is usually the most adorable side ever. Rhinos are often thought of as intimidating beasts that charge at everything. They only charge at moving objects because their eyesight is so poor and they mistake certain moving objects as predators. But, one zookeeper noted that rhinos enjoy getting their ears scratched and getting treats like dogs. That same zookeeper said "Rhinos may look super intimidating, and they can hurt you, but really they just act like big dogs. They love being scratched and will eat all of the fruit out of your hand." I now know why I love rhinos in addition to them being adorable

23. Another Long Day at the Office

-Working with animals and children can be taxing. Both have to be fed, cleaned up after and are often tiring. I couldn't even imagine working on a wildlife preserve in Africa, even South Africa. One person, whose sister is a zookeeper in South Africa, noted "My sister worked on a wildlife preserve in South Africa. Whenever I asked her how her day was going she would just reply 'F--- zebras'." Clearly, zebras are the most taxing of animals

24. The Otter Way of Life

-Just because animals look cute doesn't mean they won't fight back in any situation, especially when it comes to getting food. Every animal has strategies for hunting that are unique to them. One zookeeper noted "Volunteered at a zoo for 4 years. The otters ate absolutely anything they could get their paws on. In an open air exhibit that included a lot of birds and squirrels. The same is true for just about any carnivore/omnivore in an open air exhibit, it's just that the otters were particularly good at it."

25. The Case of the Missing Finger

-Finding random body parts in animal enclosures is no big deal, figuring it's part of an animal that was consumed. But when that body part is human, suddenly things start getting eerie. One zookeeper stated "Used to work at one as a university student...we found a human finger in the tiger enclosure...but nobody stated they had their finger bitten off...employee or guest. So where did it come from? The old zookeeper just shrugged and tossed it in the garbage."

26. Feeding Time at the Zoo

-Throwing anything into animal enclosures is dangerous. That animal could eat it and get sick or even die. Worse yet, they could have deadly aim and hurl that item right back at you with equally deadly accuracy and very deadly force. What kind of person would throw a pineapple into a gorilla enclosure or chimp enclosure, thinking it's a good idea? One zookeeper witnessed this first hand and may be able to answer. "Some people like to bring fruit and stuff to throw into the animal cages, even though they're not supposed to. If you're around and someone throws a pineapple into the gorilla or chimpanzee dens, gtfo. They will throw that thing full blast at someone. I saw a man get hit full force in the side of the head and he was lights out. Pineapple exploded on impact. Paramedics came and everything."

27. Taking the Weather With You

-Some people are completely energized during certain types of weather. Same goes for animals. One zookeeper was left with eyes wide open at how energetic some animals can be in certain types of weather. "Something a lot of people don't think about is how the weather affects animal behavior. One cold day, all the animals in a joined enclosure were going crazy...They had so much energy! But it isn't always like this on hot days."

28. The Real Kicker

-Ostriches, in some people's minds, are big, goofy birds that can run fast and often bury their head in the sand and lay eggs containing adorable baby ostriches. If they can run that fast, imagine the power contained in those legs. One zookeeper witnessed, first hand, the power of an ostrich kick. "If you have worked with them you probably already know, but one swift kick from an ostrich can kill you. Like they will literally disembowel you. Every time I see a video of someone getting up close to one, I can't help but cringe. One of our head keepers had actually lost part of their ear to one."

29. "Obsession, you're my obsession"

-Quoting the 1980s-era song by Animotion, animals have keen senses of smell, sight, hearing, taste, touch. One zookeeper discovered that the Calvin Klein cologne Obsession seems to get the attention of the big cats. "I'm a small animal vet now but worked in a zoo before vet school. Zoos are one of the biggest purchasers of Calvin Klein's Obsession cologne. The cologne has animal musk in it and it drives the big cats wild. We used to spray it on everything."

30. In Case of An Emergency

-Zoos always have plans in cases of emergencies. Their idea of emergencies can vary from situation to situation. The worst thing to consider is what animal to sacrifice to feed others. One zookeeper noted this decision was made at the zoo they worked at. "I had to draft the zoo's contingency plan for all sorts of emergencies. Flood, tornado, extreme heat, war or attacks, you name it. The plan included a prioritized list of which animals in the collection we would have to sacrifice to feed to the other animals in extreme situations. I literally created a zoo food chain. Humans were left off the list entirely."

31. Always Having Your Guard Up

-Being a zookeeper is hard. It's not for the faint of heart. A lot of hard work goes into caring for these beautiful creatures and a lot of hard work goes into educating zoo guests about preserving, conserving these animals in the wild. Zookeepers even tell their guests that their zoos also work with other zoos around the world to preserve endangered species. It's a common fact that zookeepers often get injured on the job. One zookeeper noted "The amount of injuries you can just casually pick up from animals is crazy. I've been kicked in the chest by a kangaroo, almost s*xually assaulted by an emu, attacked by a wombat and a bat, bitten by a monitor lizard and a carpet python, had a rhino charge at me, and been scratched by a macaque. My old boss had this bada-- scar from a snow leopard attack, and this guy I work with now has his entire left forearm mangled from an orangutan attack."

32. King of the Jungle

-Things can change quickly in zoos. One moment, you're admiring the beautiful King of The Jungle, the next minute it's feeding time and you're watching him eat. One zookeeper noted "There was one particularly traumatic event with the lions on a very warm and very packed spring day. The zoo was inside a large park, so various wild animals wandered through the zoo all day. One unfortunate day, a large deer fell into the lion enclosure. The adolescent male stalked it and ran it down within about 30 seconds and tore the deer to shreds. In front of dozens of horrified adults and screaming kids. I felt kind of bad that so many people saw, but like, circle of life."