At Pueblo Zoo, volunteers help make it all happen. Some handle snakes, salamanders and other ambassador animals during educational programs, while others observe animals, maintain the grounds and assist zookeepers in keeping their habitats clean. 

The zoo’s full-time staff of 40 cares for the animals, while volunteers add another layer of education and support. The zoo depends heavily on those volunteers, especially during the busy spring field trip season, when nearly 400 students may visit in a single day, said Renee Wahlen, the zoo’s director of education. 

Carol Rickman handles an alpaca. Photo by Andi Falcone

 Because of strict animal care guidelines and safety protocols, volunteers do not have contact with most of the animals at Pueblo Zoo or work inside their exhibits. Docents, however, undergo special training to handle ambassador animals that live in the Discovery Center. 

Working in pairs, docents use small wagons to transport those animals to presentation areas, where they answer questions and introduce visitors to the zoo’s residents up close. Among the animals popular with both docents and visitors are Summer, a three-banded armadillo; Hercules, a 20-pound red-footed tortoise; Ferdinand, a Mexican bullsnake; George and Gracie, the ferrets; and Lt. Dan, a San Esteban Island chuckwalla.

“I’m constantly amazed at how much I have learned about animals and how much I want to teach others about them,” said Robin Moritz, a retired nurse and longtime docent who enjoys handling a tarantula named Berta.

Like Moritz, many docents gravitate toward certain animals. Anne Casey enjoys working with birds such as owls and ravens, while Bob Riseling, a docent since 2017, said reptiles are his specialty.

A COMMUNITY OF ANIMAL LOVERS

Robin Moritz, a longtime docent at Pueblo Zoo, handles Berta the tarantula. Courtesy photo.

 While some people might shudder at the thought of walking around with a sloth or snake draped over their arm, others welcome the chance to work closely with animals in other ways.

Since she began volunteering about three years ago, Penny Dukes has taken on several roles, including conducting ethograms—15-minute animal behavior surveys that help keepers monitor certain animals’ activity. During each session, volunteers note what an animal is doing every minute, whether it is eating, walking, sleeping or interacting with enrichment tools.

“I continue to volunteer because I feel that doing the ethograms contributes to the knowledge about animals and their care,” said Dukes, a retired veterinarian. “And that makes it worthwhile for me.”

Dukes has also helped clean habitats, feed smaller animals and prepare food in the zoo’s diet kitchen, where food is measured precisely for each species. 

“The diet kitchen is just fascinating,” she said. “Everything is measured out for the animals in grams. Even the big creatures get grams of things.”

One of Dukes’ favorite parts of volunteering is learning from the keepers and discovering that even animals like the zoo’s two African porcupines have distinct personalities. 

Zoo docents Elaine Adley and Bob Riseling hold a pair of ambassador ferrets at the Pueblo Zoo. Photo by David Hayden Photography.

 Shelley Soucek, a retired UPS driver, said that in her four years as a zoo volunteer, she has grown especially fond of the goats. She has even learned their birthdays and favorite colors.

Soucek, who also volunteers in the diet kitchen, said one of the perks of volunteering is getting a behind-the-scenes look at parts of the zoo the public rarely sees, including the lion house, where she enjoyed hearing the big cats roar. Volunteers also got an early look at a baby muntjac deer born in February before it joined the deer exhibit.

For several volunteers, the role also offers a chance to share what they learn with visitors. While conducting ethogram surveys, Dukes often talks with guests about animal behavior and facts she has learned from keepers.

Moritz said visitors often ask surprising questions during presentations, including whether tarantulas have toes and whether otters can delay pregnancy. (The answer to both is yes).

“I always tell them that if I don’t know the answer, I’m happy to look it up,” said Moritz. 

She said the constant learning is one of the most rewarding parts of the role, along with the social benefits.

“This is my community,” Moritz said. “It’s such a wonderful group of people who are willing to share so much information.”

GET UP CLOSE

The docent program began about 20 years ago as part of Pueblo Zoo’s educational mission. There are currently 25 docents, but staff say there is still room for more help in a variety of roles, from docent education and zoo ambassador work to groundskeeping, special events and the gift shop. 

“We’d love to have more docents join our volunteer program,” Casey said. “People don’t have to be retired, nor do they have to have any prior animal handling experience. The hours are flexible. We will train docents to handle animals as well as to make presentations.”

Dukes said the zoo’s mission matters because it helps people better understand animals, habitats and conservation. 

From left: Volunteers Carol Rickman, Tressa Frazier, Pat Gardner roam the zoo grounds with an alpaca. Photo by Andi Falcone.

 “Even working in the gift shop is an important source of revenue for the zoo,” she said.

Each year, more than 100,000 people visit the 25-acre Pueblo Zoo in City Park. Founded in 1934, the zoo is home to about 400 animals representing more than 125 species. It is operated by the Pueblo Zoological Society, which has managed the zoo since 1991, and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

“This organization has stringent standards for almost everything about the zoo,” Dukes said. “Habitats, diets, facilities, keeper qualifications and more. They conduct onsite inspections on a regular basis.”

To volunteer, applicants must commit to at least three months of service and complete a background check. Adult volunteers who log 40 hours within a year receive an individual zoo membership. 

“If you love animals, we have a place for you,” Moritz said.