Young Junior Zoo Keeper: Trying to Help the Next Generation of Animals

By Uriyah Grantham

What is the Wildlife Safari?

The Wildlife Safari is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping animals in need. They provide care, protection, and support for wildlife through conservation efforts and rescue initiatives. I asked Ayla about What would your dream safari adventure look like she quoted “My dream safari adventure would first be feeding a giraffe, petting and learning about the millipedes and hissing cockroaches, and then spending time with my favorite rabbit there, Penny. Which you can all do at Wildlife Safari!” She really loves Safari the way it is. Ayla Bruce. She’s 13, full of energy, and already a crazy junior zoo keeper. She’s learning how to care for animals, and the amazing they are made. Ayla has done 2 months already and is out with a great start. 

Safari, But Cooler

When I asked Ayla how she’d upgrade the safari, she quoted “A gondola! It would be super cool to ride above the animals, maybe the lions.” Just imagine gliding through the sky while lions lounge below.

Cavie Obsession

Her favorite animal? The cavie. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t worry, Ayla’s got you covered. “Cavies are so cool and cute. They’re very playful. Cavies are the fastest rodent alive. I learned that at camp!” There is one of the many reasons you should join the wildlife safari. 

Zoo Keeper in Training

Being a junior zoo keeper isn’t just about hanging out with animals, it's about learning how to care for them properly. Ayla’s picked up skills like feeding routines, enrichment activities (aka animal fun), and understanding how animals socialize. “It’s about knowing their enrichment and social life,” she explained. She’s not just helping animals she’s connecting with them. I ask Ayla. How do you help take care of the animals at the safari? She quoted “How we help take care of the animals is feeding them, cleaning out their areas, and giving them new enrichment. We also make sure that all the animals look normal, and there isn't anything going wrong with their health.”

Barn Owl Dreams

I asked Ayla if she could become any animal and she replied, “The barn owl has asymmetrical ears and fixed eyes! So they have to turn their whole head to look at something. I think that’s super cool.” Barn owls are one of the world's quietest hunters, they have heart shaped feathers on their face that acts as a dish to funnel and direct sounds to their ears. Barn owls only hunt at night.

I asked Ayla what's the most surprising fact she has learned and she replied “The most surprising fact about animals that I have learned is that hippos poop then rotate their tail to spray poop... which is basically them marking their territory. Hippos actually can’t swim; they just float in the water. They love water, but they are too heavy to float and instead walk or bounce along the bottom of rivers and lakes, they try to find a river or lake that is not too deep.