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Meet the Keeper

Joe Brown

Reptiles, Amphibians and Terrestrial Invertebrates Keeper
Date of Hire: 6/17/78

RGZ: How did you become a keeper?

Joe: I studied zoology at Oswego State and was part of the first comprehensive Oswego County coastal zone study of fish, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in 1976.  I got a job with Onondaga County Parks and heard about an opening at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.  I've been a keeper ever since.

RGZ: What are your favorite animals at the zoo?

Joe: The "creepy-crawlies."  They're the underdogs.

RGZ: Have you done any animal research outside of the zoo?

Joe: I've participated in field studies that head start and release endangered bog turtles back into the wild and helped manage the population of the Chittenango ovate amber snail, a species only known to exist in a 12x6 meter region of Chittenango Falls.

RGZ: What are some important aspects of your job?

Joe: With amphibians and reptiles, they don't often display signs of a problem until it's too late, so feeding observation, health and well-being checks and sensitive surveillance are essential to help me get a feel for what's normal.

Gabe Dilaj

The Zoo's Resident Chef

RGZ: How long have you been in the food service industry?

Gabe: 10 years.

RGZ: What got you interested in cooking?

Gabe: I first became interested when I was a 17-year-old manager at Taco Bell. Cooking is what I enjoy.  I take great pleasure in cooking good food and having people enjoy what I make. I decided to study Food Service Administration and Hotel Management at Onondaga Community College.

RGZ: What led you to the zoo?

Gabe: I was working at the Oncenter when I met Jim Mahler, Executive Chef and Director of Catering for the Zoo.  He invited me to help out at some of the zoo's special events, and when the chef position in the catering department opened, Jim asked me to come aboard.

RGZ: What do you like most about your job?

Gabe: Everyday is different from the last.  One day I can come in and have a special breakfast to prepare, a huge party to prep for or inventory to take and food to order. I also got to make Siri the Asian elephant's 40^th birthday cake!

Anne Donnelly

Wildlife Trail Keeper; Snow Leopard Trainer
Date of Hire: 8/1/87

RGZ: How did you become a keeper?

Anne: I studied biology at LeMoyne College and was able to explore a variety of animal-related careers.  As a kid, I'd always been interested in working at a zoo, and in 1987, I accepted a job in the zoo's maintenance department.  While I was on maternity leave with my second child, I received a phone call from the zoo offering me a zookeeper position on the Wildlife Trail.

RGZ: What animals do you care for?

Anne: Snow leopards, gray wolves, tigers, red pandas and white-lipped deer.

RGZ: What is your favorite part of the job?

Anne: I love training the animals. It's so important, but it wasn't always a high priority in the collective zoo world.  Recently, I've been training our female snow leopard, Zena, how to shift from the main exhibit to the behind-the-scenes holding area.

RGZ: How does the Syracuse winter affect your job?

Anne: My co-workers and I have to wear lots of layers to stay warm, and the bulkiness of our clothes makes it tough to navigate the steep hills and rocks on the Wildlife Trail.  But, we have our fun too.  We have been known to build mini-snowmen for the red pandas to knock over.

 

Margaret "Peg" Dwyer

Collection Manager; Oversees Outdoor Birds, Outreach Collection, Domestic Animal Barn, Snow Leopards and Diet Prep.
Date of Hire: 9/28/85

RGZ: What inspired you to become a keeper?

Peg: I've always loved animals and enjoyed watching Marlin Perkins on Wild Kingdom.

RGZ: How did you become a keeper?

Peg: I volunteered at the zoo while in high school and received a bachelor's degree in zoology.  However, when it was time for me to get a job, the zoo was undergoing major renovations and there were no positions available.  I went to nursing school and worked as a licensed practical nurse for three years at St. Joseph's Hospital. Just as I was contemplating a move to South Carolina to become a registered nurse, I received a call from the zoo offering me a job.  I've been here ever since!

RGZ: What is the most important thing you do at the zoo?

Peg: Taking care of the collection.  We have a responsibility to the animals.  Without tem, where would we be?

RGZ: What's the most exciting thing you've done while working at the zoo?

Peg: I was honored and thrilled to hand-raise Ruka, a snow leopard, when his mother's milk didn't come in.  It was a lot of work caring for the baby. At first, he had to be fed every two hours around the clock.  Fortunately, we were able to bring in another orphan, Ramire, from Cleveland, to be his companion.  Eventually Ruka left our zoo and went on to be paired with another snow leopard in South Dakota.

 

 

Katie Freislich

Outdoor Bird Keeper
Date of Hire: 5/29/07

RGZ: How did you become a keeper at the zoo?

Katie: I completed an internship at the zoo in the summer of 2004, and went on to graduate from Cornell University in 2005 with a degree in Animal Science.  After that, I began as an entry-level zookeeper at the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park in Watertown.  I heard about an opening at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo and went for it.

RGZ: What's your favorite part of the job?

Katie: I love having one area to focus on and put more time into.  I have a lot more time for training and paying attention to the individual animals.

RGZ: What's your typical day like?

Katie: I get a lot of exercise! The birds are spread out and it's necessary to do rounds every day to check for injuries or sickness.  Next, it's on to feeding and then cleaning all of the bird enclosures.  We have to clean everyday and we clean the ponds every Thursday. After the birds are cleaned and fed, it's time for the shows.  There are demonstrations every weekend and twice a day during the summer.  When there isn't a show, I focus on projects and maintenance, like exhibit renovation and animal enrichment.

RGZ: What's the most special thing you've done while at the zoo?

Katie: I was able to hand-raise the kookaburra, Stitch.  It was a really great experience to care for something so small and helpless.  It was neat to watch him grow from this ugly little creature into this extremely gorgeous bird.  He's kind of like my baby.