Filming at Erfurt Zoo: Young people discover the zookeeper profession!

Filming at Erfurt Zoo: Young people discover the zookeeper profession!

At Erfurt Zoo, everything currently revolves around animal care and offspring. Between June 2nd and 6th, a camera team was on site to film the third season of the MDR format “Elephant, Tiger & Kids”. This exciting format, an offshoot of “Elephant, Tiger & Co.”, accompanies six young people on their way through an internship at the zoo. It is not only intended to entertain, but also to introduce the profession of zookeeper in an exciting way. Thuringia24 reports on the positive and challenging experiences that the young people are confronted with.

Among the protagonists are 14-year-old Jakob from Durach and 15-year-old Vivian from Recklinghausen. Both report that it was not always easy to deal with the animals and to find the work normal. The highlight of filming? A very special shower – for the elephants! The exciting new season will be shown on Kika and in the ARD media library in October.

Animal keeper: A profession with heart and mind

But what is it that actually makes zookeepers so special? In addition to the daily feeding, cleaning and health monitoring of the animals, they are also responsible for interacting with the audience. They answer questions and conduct educational programs that promote understanding of animals and their habitats. How Training compass shows, zookeepers are also involved in breeding programs for endangered species, which is a valuable task. These aspects are also highlighted in the MDR show, where the young people get a great insight into the everyday work of animal keepers.

A current concern of the Erfurt Zoo is the female cheetah Djehuti, called Judy. After she recently left the Erfurt Zoo Park to meet her breeding partner Zambezi at the Münster All-Weather Zoo, the zookeepers are hoping for a positive outcome to this trip. How Erfurt Zoo Park explains, breeding cheetahs is particularly important because this species is seriously threatened by habitat loss and poaching. Judy and Zambezi have mated several times and preparations for a possible birth are in full swing.

Collaboration between zoos and conservation organizations remains central to ensuring the long-term protection of cheetahs. For the animals at Erfurt Zoo, this means that there is a lot at stake in the coming months and we can look forward to the results of the breeding measures.

A look at the everyday life of animal keepers and the challenges they have to overcome shows how important these professions are for species protection and awareness of the animal world. Whether on the show or in real life – the profession of zookeeper has a lot to offer!