The COVID-19 pandemic complicated the lives of many college students. Ben Thomas, Warner College of Natural Resources alumnus, was no exception. Amidst the pandemic in May 2020, Thomas graduated with a B.S. in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology.
Thomas knew from a young age that he wanted to work with animals. During his time at Colorado State University, Thomas volunteered at the Denver Zoo for over three years, first as a keeper assistant in the penguin section, then as a bird keeper intern. His internship started in January 2020, but was canceled in mid-March due to the pandemic.
After graduation, Thomas needed a job. He moved to Denver and started working at three different jobs. He worked at Wild Bird Rescue and Rehab facility, a plant nursery, and the Denver Zoo in a horticulture and grounds position for the remainder of the year.
“I worked at the Denver Zoo in order to keep my foot in the door and be able to network,” Thomas said.
Dreams Do Come True
Thomas’ persistence paid off when the assistant curator of the pachyderm department offered him a permanent part-time job on the team. He started this position in January 2021 and quickly transitioned to a full-time zookeeper.
As a zookeeper, the day-to-day responsibilities revolve around animal husbandry efforts. Most of the time, Thomas interacts with the animals through relationship building and training. Other zookeeper duties include: exhibit maintenance and cleaning, giving tours and education talks to visitors, and daily emails and reports.
“My favorite aspect of the job is the ability to make a connection with the animals I am responsible for,” Thomas said. “It’s not only my job to take care of them and ensure their well-being, but to also be their voice. It’s my job to educate people about the conservation work being done locally and globally, why zoos are important, while hopefully establishing a connection with the public and the animals that call the Denver Zoo home.”
While there are a lot of rewarding aspects of the job, there are some challenges when working with animals. Everyone in the zookeeper and wildlife field has a deep love of animals and nature which makes it difficult when an animal dies.
“When you spend so much of your time taking care of, getting to know, and advocating for these animals it is extremely hard when they pass,” Thomas said. “Luckily, this community is very close knit and we take care of each other. My team is like a family to me.”
Warner’s Impact
Ben credits his education at CSU in helping him succeed in his career.
“My time in Warner taught me how to apply all of my academic components of my education, but mostly I learned to work with others to complete a task, approach things from different perspectives, think outside the box, ask for help when needed, and share my passion for what I do,” Thomas said.
Advice to Graduating Seniors
“Never give up on what it is you want from life. College will prepare you for some aspects of life, but getting involved, trying new things, putting yourself out there will help you find out what exactly you are meant to do. Your dreams will come true, but be patient with them and never lose sight of what you want to achieve.”
