Welcome to Zoo Tails first official interview feature! We recently had the opportunity to talk to Bruce Lane, an experienced zoo volunteer. Thanks to Bruce for answering our questions and sharing some of his zoo tails with us!
ZT: Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself? Where are you from and what do you do?
Bruce: Born and raised in Berkeley, CA, moved to Washington state in 1993 with
my then-girlfriend, now-wife (of 18 years). By trade and training, I'm
an electronics engineering technician, specializing in radio and
telecommunications. I currently work for the state of Washington, civil
service, state highway patrol.
This may seem an odd contrast,
given my interest in animals, but think about it: What better way to
offset a fairly 'sterile' field of work? ;-)
ZT: What zoo do you consider your "home" zoo?
Bruce: I'm fortunate to have two which are local:
Pt. Defiance, in Tacoma, and
Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle.
ZT: Where did your love of zoos or animals originate?
Bruce: I don't know whether I can point to any single event which sparked it. I
grew up with pets, of course, mostly dogs or cats, but at one point I
was fortunate enough to have a hybrid owl (part screech, part
great-horned) as a companion. Unfortunately, we had to hand him off to a
local wildlife center in the early 70's. He was healthy enough, and we
got along great, but he would attack my father on sight. Even if they
had gotten along, the laws concerning keeping captive raptors had
changed in a way which would have precluded my keeping him.
Ever since, my interest in animals, particularly exotics and birds, has
done nothing but grow. When I reached adulthood, I finally had the
curiosity and means to indulge this interest by traveling to zoos and
oceanariums all over the country, including several in Mexico and the
Caribbean. My primary critters-of-interest now are birds, particularly
raptors, dolphins, and anything small and furry which enjoys being held.
;-)
ZT: How did you get involved in volunteering?
Bruce: A
friend of mine was in the Navy at the same time my early interest in
dolphins was peaking. He phoned me one evening while he was on leave,
raving about how he'd found this fantastic spot where the trainer had
not only taken him in as a volunteer, but was letting him swim with the
dolphins almost on a daily basis.
Naturally, I was excited
about it, but I had other commitments at the time. Finally, after the
third or fourth call like this, I got jealous and made travel plans. The
rest, as they say, is history. Since then, I've volunteered on and off
at various places, including the
Oklahoma City Zoo and Magic Mountain in
California (back when they had a contract dolphin show). Most recently,
my wife and I have found a friend in Joanne Bentley, of '
thefalconlady.com,'
and she's been coaching us in how to work with raptors. And, in 2010, I
took a four-day captive raptor care workshop at the University of
Minnesota's Raptor Center. First time I've had a bald eagle on my glove.
Gorgeous bird, but heavy!
We've also been fortunate to have
numerous interactive experiences, both paid for and freebies, with tiger
cubs, a Canadian lynx, and more birds than I can count.
ZT: That sounds amazing! What did you take away from your volunteering experience?
Bruce: I've taken away, lots! Just as one
example, I've come to realize the general public has not the slightest
idea how much HARD work goes into being a zookeeper, a marine animal
trainer, or even a volunteer. This is probably because the public tends
not to see anything but the end result -- the handler with a magnificent
hawk on their glove, calmly answering questions and basking in the
attention. The dolphin or whale trainer, giving a near-invisible hand
signal to their charges, who then display amazing acrobatics. The cat
handler, calmly walking five hundred pounds of Bengal Tiger through a
crowded cafeteria without a care in the world.
They have NO
IDEA what it takes to even get close to such things! I do. I've done
everything from shovel poop to answering questions after a show.
If I had to point to ONE thing I've learned, and one thing only, it
would be: ANYone who does any serious work with animals, no matter if
it's in a zoo, aviary, oceanarium or wildlife preserve, deserves a lot
of respect. It is truly a labor of love!
ZT: Couldn't agree with you more! Of course I have to ask, what is your favorite zoo that you've been to?
Bruce: Can't point to any single place. I've got multiple favorites, depending on the context.
For forward-thinking and sheer we-can-do-it guts:
The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. Rarely have I seen a healthier collection of critters, a more
caring staff, or a better assortment of interactive and educational
opportunities.
For aviaries: So far, it's a toss-up between
SeaWorld Orlando's Discovery Cove (outstanding interactive
opportunities, with everything from sparrows to turacos), and the huge
walk-through aviary at the San Diego Zoo.
For overall photo
opportunities: The Minnesota Zoo has some of the most
photographer-friendly exhibits I've ever seen. Woodland Park is a close
second, but they could learn quite a bit from Minnesota.
For dolphin-interactive opportunities: Xel Ha, south of Cancun, Mexico, is my current favorite.
For land animal interaction, I have to point to the West Coast Game Park, Bandon, Oregon.
ZT: I haven't experienced many zoos on the west side of the country so it's great to learn more about them. Thanks again for taking the time to answer our questions!
We're always looking for individuals to interview and share their stories with us so please feel free to comment below with any suggestions!
While
visiting Dollywood, Gatlinburg. and the Smoky Mountains this past
weekend my wife and I decided to do something we have never done: check
out Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. This was the third year in a row
we have visited Gatlinburg and, although we’d taken pictures outside of
it every trip, we had never actually went inside the aquarium. Well, the
weather wasn’t that great and it was colder than usual out so we
figured it was the perfect time to see what the aquarium had to offer
(and it promised to be nice and warm inside)!
While
the Shark Lagoon is an outstanding exhibit, the Aquarium of the Smokies
as a whole lacks that one unique, marquee animal that they can hang
their hat on. For example, Monterey Bay has sea otters and the Georgia
Aquarium has whale sharks. Beyond the Shark Lagoon, there are really no
imaginative tank designs (unlike Monterey Bay, which had several
stunning designs). As an adult I did find enjoyment in visiting the
Gatlinburg aquarium but it is really geared more towards kids. In the
end, the aquarium is slightly overpriced (AAA members get a $1 off
discount per ticket) but is a much better value than most of the other
overpriced tourist traps in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
