It takes a small but mighty village to care for over 200 creatures representing 50 species of mammals, birds and reptiles at one of The Bahamas’ most famous attractions, Ardastra Gardens and Wildlife Conservation Centre.

“Our animal keepers play a vital role in wildlife conservation. Their love for our furry, feathered and scaled friends keep them dedicated to their jobs through rain, shine and hurricane season,” said Katherine Solomon, Ardastra’s director.

“As the world observes International Zookeeper Day on October 4, we want to recognize our loyal staff working behind the scenes to enrich the lives of animals in our care.”

Six full-time zookeepers and two others assist with animal care at Ardastra. For the most part, they always possessed an affinity for creatures great and small.

“Even with the bugs, the bites, the mosquitos, the heat, the rain, I’d prefer to be outside working with the animals than inside at a desk in an office,” said Christina Smith whose been with the conservation centre since 2013. “When you’re with the animals you know that something new can happen and you just have to be ready to conquer it.”

With so many mouths to feed, food preparation and delivery is an important task. Animals could require nourishment anywhere from three to five times a day. Some might eat just once a week. With each animal possessing different nutritional needs, it’s no surprise their diets change daily. Fruits and seeds could be on the menu for macaws. Owls receive baby chicksor chickens. Snakes might be fed mice or chicks and the rabbits, vegetables or fruits.

Food preparation aside, animal keepers at Ardastra spend countless hours executing various tasks including cleaning habitats, animal interaction and training, animal enrichment and engaging with the public.

To keep so many species safe, healthy and content, zookeepers must be well educated about all animals in their care. To the untrained eye, animals of the same species might look the same, but to these pros each are as different as people.

“I find animals’ body language and facial expressions interesting. People look at most animals and think they’re unable to express emotions like humans, but they do actually. I love to see the different ways they communicate with their bodies and their vocalization,” said zookeeper Kandice Hanna.

Shortly after joining the team in 2019, Hanna, a sketch artist, began photographing the residents of Ardastra. The undertaking took on a life of its own. It focused her artwork and sparked her development as a wildlife artist.

“It became about wanting to capture their personalities and trying to capture their inner spirit through my art.”

That eye for detail has served her well.

“I work with one of the African grey parrots, Tweet. He lets me know when he's ready for training by positioning himself at the spot where we train. He’ll begin vocalizing, saying certain things. I know at that point he’s trying to get my attention to let me know he’s ready to go,” Hanna explained.

“When you understand the manner in which they communicate you’ll also know if an animal may be a little bit agitated. My work with Tweet has at times, ticked off Mr Pumpkin, the Amazon parrot who shares his exhibit. I know Mr Pumpkin is really agitated when he flares his tail, his pupils constrict and dilate, and he vocalizes. At that point, I’ll wait for him to calm down before I enter the exhibit.”

To successfully work with animals, one must be tough said Ryn Sawyer, who began volunteering with Ardastra in 2019, in order to obtain the volunteer hours, she needed to graduate high school. Two years later she’s contemplating a career as a zoologist.

“Animals get upset. They might have an off day. They are individuals. If one nips you, you have to be ready for that and be okay with it. That’s part of the job. It’s to be expected. You can't be upset about it.”

When Luciano Moxey joined Ardastra in 2020, birds would encircle him whenever he entered their exhibit.

“They needed to grow accustomed to this new person entering their environment,” he recalled. “When you’re working with animals you have to put aside your fear. When you have a snake around your neck or your hand, at any moment you could be bitten. A caiman, a relative to the alligator family, could take a finger off. So, of course, interacting with them as a zookeeper could be a bit intimidating at first.”

Patience is key to dealing with different animals on a daily basis. Other traits essential to an excellent zookeeper is empathy, the ability to look at an exhibit and assess what an animal might need to make their quality of life better, and creativity – vital when it comes to repurposing bits and pieces into something new and amazing for an animal to forage and explore.

It's not unusual for zookeepers to form special bonds with the animals in their care. Moxey is no exception.

His favorite animal to work with is Eleuthera, a rescued racoon who was abandoned and brought to the centre three months ago as a newborn. At the time, she was unable to see and could barely walk. Ardastra has been her home ever since.

“She’s playful, energetic and loves to nibble on fingers. She’s mostly kept by herself or with the trainers and let out to play every day. When you’re introducing racoons, they’re going to clash over territory and that could be pretty brutal,” said Moxey.

Having lost her fear of people, Eleuthera is being trained for guest encounters.

“In the animal kingdom, the weak ones get left behind or eaten. It’s all survival instincts. Our compassion separates us. Ardastra is a very important place. Animals need us human beings to take care of them and in some cases preserve the population and prevent them from going extinct.”

For Brendan Bonimy, the animal who tugs at his heart strings is Salvador, a macaw.

“I train Salvador and Butterbean, a military macaw who does tricks from his outside perch. I love working with all the animals, but the macaws are special, Salvador in particular. There’s a bond that has developed. He’s very loving and affectionate towards me,” said Bonimy who has spent a decade working at Ardastra.

“Places like this are so important. Not only do we care for animals but we’re also a part of conservation. People call us or bring in animals in need of rehabilitation. Sometimes we’re able to release them back into the wild. When we’re unable to, they stay here and enjoy a longer, perhaps, a more peaceful life at Ardastra Gardens.”