Ryan Clifton

January 2016

Ryan Clifton is one of the newest Staff Biologists at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, but has been at the zoo for almost five years in a number of different positions. He has worked himself up the job ladder, and has an interesting list of experiences and skills on his resume. Ryan has made a name for himself as a determined and hard worker, and we are excited to see where the next chapter of his life takes him at the zoo.

Ryan was born and raised in Kentucky. At the age of nine, his family moved to Spokane, Washington. At this point in his life, he visited PDZA for the first time. He remembers being very impressed with the zoo and its reputation for being among the best in animal care. He attended college at Washington State University and double majored in Zoology and Spanish. During school, he lived in Costa Rica for four months. He says that he still knows enough Spanish to get around, but doesn't speak fluently anymore.

In addition to PDZA, Ryan was an educator at Sea World San Diego in 2007. His tasks involved interpreting to visitors and running the touch tanks and tide pools. In the summer of 2011, Ryan took an internship at Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater. His tasks involved setting up sounds for the show, preparing diets, and doing husbandry for the animals. Later that fall, Ryan was hired on as a Zoological Aid and additionally began performing in the show. Ryan informed me that tumbling (back flips, back handsprings) is considered a sport in the south, which came in handy because he performed some of these gymnastics on stage during the show! Ryan continued to work at Wild Wonders until 2014, when he became a new Animal Care Assistant for the Budgie exhibit. His tasks involved husbandry for the birds and interacting and helping people see the birds. A year later, Ryan was hired as the new Staff Biologist at the Asian Forest Sanctuary. It was a dream come true for him.

When he is not at the zoo, Ryan enjoys reading and hiking with his wife Karleen and their dog. One of the most important aspects of Ryan's life is his relationship with Karleen. The two have been married for seven years but began dating in the 8^th grade. If he could have a super power, his would like to be able to teleport so he could travel the world. He has a quirky habit of cracking his knuckles, back, and toes. If he could have an endless supply of any food, he would have Taco Bell (the nacho cheese gordita is one of his favorites). If he could travel anywhere in the world he would visit Australia because it has a lot of diverse places and animals. The weirdest thing he's ever eaten was deep fried sea anemone in Spain. One goal Ryan would like to accomplish in his life is to travel to as many countries as possible, though he has already traveled to Morocco, Hawaii, Panama, Nicaragua, and Mexico. If he could be any animal, he would be a raven because they are intelligent, beautiful, and can fly. His favorite animals at the zoo are Whitie the African Crested Porcupine and Nigel the Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine. He especially likes rodents.

Ryan has shown a tremendous amount of determination to excel at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. He has worked in multiple departments and has shown a hard work ethic. We are fortunate to have such loyal, dedicated person at PDZA and look forward to what Ryan's future will bring!

AAZK’s Zoo Stars!

Randomly chosen participants will receive a $5 gift card of their choice.

Zoo Stars can be any permanent staff, seasonal/temporary staff, volunteer, or intern from any department!