So much that is discussed in these articles revolves around the passion and dedication of the zookeeper staff and the challenges they face day-in, day-out, but ensuring the ongoing health and safety of the animal collection couldn’t happen without the support of the Curator and Veterinarian working together to provide guidance to the zookeeper staff. Nothing happens in the zoo’s collection without these two being a part.

The Curator is responsible for managing the zookeeper staff and ensuring they have the tools and skills necessary to safely perform their duties. All the animal records, working out logistics for animal transfers, and the day-to-day oversight of the collection are just a few of their responsibilities. They must keep up on the various animal management programs that determine who will be allowed to breed and those that aren’t. As a smaller zoo within the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums), we recognize that many zookeepers that are hired see the Roosevelt Park Zoo as a stepping stone in their career and look to move on to a larger facility. The Curator ensures they are well-trained if they decide to move on or preferably decide to continue their growth at the zoo and the community of Minot.

The Roosevelt Park Zoo is fortunate to have a full-time veterinarian on staff. Many small institutions utilize a local contracted veterinarian that visits the zoo one or two days a week. The RPZ has worked this way in the past and it can often leave a zoo stuck in cases of an emergency, causing staff to fend for themselves until help can arrive. The Veterinarian at the RPZ is on-site 5-days a week but is also on call during the weekend. They are accessible to the zookeeper staff to answer questions and provide guidance on dietary and medical issues. They create and oversee the Preventative Health Program to organize the treatments and annual exams. As the zoo continues to improve its facilities and is given more opportunities for breeding animals, the Veterinarian’s role continues to grow. From the time an animal is born until they leave, the Veterinarian is there for it all.

Being a zoo veterinarian is not an easy task and requires a lot of research to deal with cases for nearly every class of animal. It can be an emotional position as the staff looks to the Veterinarian to be perfect and make everything alright when something is wrong, but the Veterinarian is just as human as you and I. No matter the research, the communications with others, or even all the effort they can muster, sometime things just don’t work out and too often, the Veterinarian will carry that load wondering if there was something different that could have been done.

Together the Curator and Zoo Veterinarian work to oversee both the husbandry and veterinary aspects of the animal collection and provide their knowledge and experience to the zookeeper staff. There are ups and downs, good days and bad, but they know that decisions they make daily have an impact on the animals, the zookeepers, and the entire Roosevelt Park Zoo.