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FOLLOWING HER PASSION
Zoo volunteer’s interest in primates sparked 20 years as a docent By MATT SCHURY mschury@kendallcountynow.com This August marks the 20th anniversary of a young boy falling into the gorilla exhibit at Brookfield Zoo. Heather Devermann of Yorkville had just begun volunteering as a docent visitor’s guide at the zoo. Images of the gorilla holding the boy until keepers Heather could rescue him Devermann made headlines around the world. Devermann wasn’t there the day of the incident but knew the gorilla, Binti Jua, from when she was an intern six years earlier. “The same gorilla that did that 20 years ago is still at Brookfield Zoo and you can go see her today,” she said. “I spoon fed her yogurt. When that happened to that little boy she was a new mother herself and she had a little youngster. By nature gorillas are shy and gentle animals and when that boy fell in she just Photos provided picked him up and carried him Heather Devermann of Yorkville has been a volunteer guide at Brookfield Zoo to the holding door. She knew for the past 20 years. These photos were taken in the early 1990s, shortly to get the boy to the keepers so she took the boy to the holding after she began volunteering at the zoo. door, she came in and then the keepers were able to get the little all the crazy stuff on hold and “I have always been interboy.” just go and enjoy it.” ested in monkeys and primates,” Devermann reflected on that Devermann, who has been she said. “In fact, (for) my first incident recently as she looks a real estate agent for almost science project I had a little back on 20 years of volunteer20 years, started out hoping stuffed animal monkey that I ing at the zoo in west suburban to work with animals at a zoo. still have to this day.” Brookfield. She says volunteerHer interest in monkeys and As an undergrad Devermann ing is a way to connect with primates is genuine. In fact, spent a month in the South her passion for primates even her email address and license American rain forest studying though her career didn’t follow plate used to be “go ape” and she the social behavior of primates. the path she thought it would keeps ape and monkey decora“We lived in tents,” she said. take. tions in her office. “We lived on the periphery of “Find something that you enShe went to St. Olaf College in a rainforest with no running joy and try to make a career out Minnesota and studied chemiswater or electricity and we had of it. I don’t get paid to do it but try before switching her major pop-up tents and we ate rice and I get paid in other ways because to biology and studied animals beans.” it is something that I just enjoy,” and nature. She said her love of The monkeys have a well she sad. “I look forward to those primates extends back to when defined social structure, Deverdays because I can put work and she was a kid. mann said, with alpha and beta
continue to volunteer at the zoo for as long as she is able. “I can’t even believe I have been their 20 years, it’s been fantastic,” she said. “Most of the people that volunteer, I swear they volunteer until they die.” As a docent Devermann said it is important to find ways to engage the guests in the animals. This is done by personalizing the animals and telling the visitors about the specific animals they are seeing. It enriches their experience because otherwise they’ll just walk past something or read a sign and the sign might have a couple of facts … but they males competing over females. always want to know what’s that “I studied in South America animal’s name,” she said. “They right on the Guatemala border,” love to know – that’s the mom she said. “I would follow monand the baby and the grandma is keys around the trees all day over there.” long and collected research for Other times, Devermann said 30 days.” a docent has to step in between Devermann graduated from an animal and the guests and let St. Olaf and went on to the Unithem know not to encourage an versity of Georgia and studied animal’s behavior, especially primatology. In the mid 1990s regarding the primates. she graduated and went on to a “There used to be a gorilla doctoral program and applied for at Brookfield Zoo and he would an assistant curator of primates throw his feces. Obviously that position at Chicago’s Lincoln is a behavior that the zoo doesn’t Park Zoo. On her third interview want, but as people scream it a hiring freeze was put in place encourages him to do it again,” when the city privatized the zoo. she said. After graduation, she reThey would tell visitors when turned to Chicago and started the gorilla starts doing that not a career in real estate, at the to react and move along, though suggestion of her mom who was she admits that can be difficult working as a real estate agent. for some guests to grasp. About that same time, Dever“The animals can recognize mann, who was then 26, learned your uniform, especially prithat Brookfield Zoo was seeking mates,” she said. “Some of them volunteers and decided to apply. recognize you just by looking “I already knew a lot about at your face, they know exactly the animals, especially primates. who you are because you are That was my thing,” she said. there all the time. “If I walk by “Most of the people who volunhe’ll go branch to branch, to teer tend to be older or retired branch and follow me all the way because they have time to do it. down and then I come back and I’ve sold real estate for about he’ll follow me again,” she said. 20 years and I have a flexible “I feel like he’s trying to even schedule.” get to me sometimes They are all Devermann said she hopes to really smart creatures.”