2 minute read
Keeper Feature: Peyton Clark
Where are you from originally?
I was born and raised right here in Memphis! I went to college at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, but came back home to start my career.
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Where did you work before the Memphis Zoo?
In high school, I worked at Taco Bell; in college, I was a Resident Assistant for the dorm hall. After I graduated, and before becoming a zookeeper, I worked at Petsmart and in the zoo’s Elephant Trunk gift shop! I then volunteered at our farm area, and spent the summer of 2016 working the zoo’s Budgie House. I then accepted a full-time keeper position in the Animals of the Night, which I did for 3 years before moving to Primate Canyon.
What department do you work in?
Primate Canyon now for 2 years.
How long have you been a zookeeper?
About 5 ½ years.
Have you always wanted to work with animals?
Yes! I originally wanted to be a Veterinarian, but during my time at UT, I decided to switch my major to “Animal Science” and become a zookeeper!
What is your favorite species to work with at the zoo?
Probably the gorillas, but I love all the great ape species I work with because they are so incredibly intelligent. The other great apes we have are bonobos and orangutans.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love to do puzzles! I started to work on them at the beginning of the pandemic, and since March of 2020, I have completed about 75 puzzles.
Do you have any pets?
Yes I have a blue pit bull named Jackson, who is the sweetest dog in the world! He loves to cuddle and play tug of war, but mostly he just loves to sleep!
What is your advice for anyone that wants to be a zookeeper?
I would say definitely try to volunteer at your local zoo, or animal shelter, as well as complete internship(s) in the animal care field; after I graduated, I interned at a wildlife rehabilitation center in southern Florida, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be an internship at a zoo! I also started in the zoo’s giftshop to “get my foot in the door,” as well as volunteered in the zoo’s Once Upon a Farm area for about a year before getting my first zookeeping position.
