Our digital series, Pride In Our People, features the incredible staff at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium through written first-person narratives and/or podcast interviews.

Today, we are featuring Judy, a keeper in Kids Kingdom!
This is her story…

Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to work with animals, but at the time I thought I’d have to be a veterinarian to do so. I first became interested in becoming a Zookeeper when I entered a writing contest that was sponsored by the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Public Schools. As a result of participating in this contest, I was hired as a part-time seasonal Zoo Aide in 1986, and I have been here ever since!

I was fortunate to be able to work at the Zoo while I attended the University of Pittsburgh. As a Zoo Aide, I worked in the ticket booths and the parking lot, on the carrousel, in the administration office, and ultimately in the Children’s Zoo. Around the time I graduated from Pitt with my Bachelor’s degree in Biology, the Zoo was hiring a few Keepers. I applied to take the City’s Civil Service test, passed, and was offered a job in the Children’s Zoo (which later became the Children’s Farm and, finally, Kids Kingdom).

Over the years, I have worked in several different areas of the Zoo (including the AquaZoo, the old reptile building, the old bear exhibits, and with the primates in the Tropical Forest Complex). I also helped to cover the quarantine area and worked with some of the animals that had just arrived at the Zoo, but I always loved working in the Children’s area.

In Kids Kingdom, I get to work with a diverse group of animals: from guinea pigs, rabbits, and hedgehogs to beavers, otters, kangaroos, and sea lions.  In this area, we have direct contact with almost all of the animals on a daily basis, and through the years, I have had the privilege to work with—and form relationships with and cherished memories of—some amazing animals (and people).

Thank you for all you do, Judy!