Zoo Miami

I spent the summer of 2022 as an Animal Well-Being and Records Intern at Zoo Miami in Miami, Florida, where I learned about both administrative zoo roles and animal welfare. Administratively, I worked to digitize old paper records of animal care, health, and transports while also logging confiscated animal parts. Additionally, I was responsible for daily behavioral assessments and data collection for projects focused on various zoo species. These species included clouded leopards, sloth bears, river otters, and meerkats. I also worked to collect data on zoo visibility, identifying animal habitats, such as the wombat, Florida panther, and ring-tailed lemurs, that could use improvements or greater enrichment to make the animals visible to the public throughout the day. Through this internship, I gained skills in ZIMS and ZooMonitor, as well as communication skills as I interacted with the public during my data collection sessions.

I also had the opportunity to shadow Zoo Miami’s brooder during my internship, where I learned about conservation and captive breeding of critically endangered birds. I spent a day shadowing the zoo veterinarians, as well, where I saw a variety of exams and rechecks on a wide array of species, including an alligator necropsy. While I only spent a summer in Miami, I had a lot of fun and would love to go back to visit the zoo someday soon!