Hi from Australia

Hi from Australia
23-07-2007

Hi everyone. I'm Aaron, and I live in Sydney, Australia.

I'm not really sure what to say by way of introduction. I love animals, of course. I spend a lot of time at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. I am a member so I can go all the time. I also recently applied to do some of the member only activities. Two weeks ago I saw sun bears, lions, and tigers up close, and got to feed giraffes, which was amazing. Then yesterday I got to see the chimps go to bed. It was unforgettable. You would expect them to wind down for bedtime, but they actually get very boisterous and loud. They eventually make nests with large piles of shredded paper and go to sleep. It was such a privelege to see.

Anyway, I have applied to volunteer at the zoo so hopefully they'll call me at the start of next year when they do another intake. I'm also planning to do a few courses on animals to hopefully get a job at the zoo one day. I've worked in IT for the last 6 years, but I've finally realised what I really want to do is be around animals and contribute to their conservation and wellbeing. I've heard the pay isn't fantastic, but as long as it's enough to get by it seems like the ideal job. Anyway, I'm rambling a bit so I'll stop now. Hopefully this becomes my new retreat while at work. Something to keep me positive and motivated till I finally get there

Anyway, thanks for reading this far

23-07-2007

welcome aaron...

nice to have another australasian for a change....

23-07-2007

exactly my thought pat mate, well im Zoo_Boy

nice to meet you, are you young or studying zoo related, or have just an interest?

23-07-2007

Hello, welcome to this wonderful forum. I hope you have a nice time here. I'm enjoying it a lot. People are very nice and help you out if you are stuck understanding or identifying something.

24-07-2007

Nice to have another new member Aaron.

25-07-2007

thanks for the warm welcome everyone. I've been poking around the forum since joining and already learnt a great deal. Seems there are plenty of knowledgeable people here so I look forward to picking your brains. (more in a figurative sense than a typical zombie behaviour sense)

Zoo_Boy, I'm 26 and have been in IT all my working life. I'm finally sick of that. Actually, I've been sick of it for a while, it would be more accurate to say I've finally got the balls to do something about it
I've applied to volunteer at the zoo, and at the start of next year I'm hoping to have quit and started a tafe course on animal studies.

Other than that I'm not sure how best to switch from IT to looking after animals. If anyone has any advice I'd appreciate it.

26-07-2007

Go for it and good luck!

I envy you young guys these days. Many years ago I applied for a keepers job at Taronga and was told that, because I had the H.S.C. (Higher School Certificate) I was over-qualified! Keepers in those days were regarded as just labourers, (and paid accordingly.)

Fortunately, these days they are rightly regarded as the key personnel that they are, (although ZooPro will probably tell us that they're worth more money than they are getting!)