School Life
Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo
Student Curators
Sophie Zhou
Sophie came to Millbrook as a Vth former from Los Angeles, California, and she’s worked at the zoo the entire time she’s been here. Here are her thoughts on working at the zoo:
1. What’s your favorite animal at the zoo?
"The red pandas. They're the reason I came to Millbrook in the first place. I just really like everything that they do—from how they look to their temperament and their lifestyle."
2. Do you have a favorite zoo experience?
"It was when some Smithsonian researchers came to our zoo to cryobank some of our American Red Wolf genetic material. I was able to observe the whole process and even help with it a little bit. It was something completely new that I've never done before, and I barely even knew about it, but I was actually able to see exactly what's going on and how they did it."
3. What have you learned at the zoo?
"I learned a lot about animals and what it means to be a person who works with animals. There's a lot that goes into maintaining a zoo, and everyone has to do their part. I also learned a lot about responsibility in general—especially this year, when I'm doing a class that requires me to go to the zoo every day for a research project. That has taught me about being responsible."
4. What advice do you have for future zoo curators?
"I think it's important to make your zooies feel like they want to be there. Just be nice to them and maybe give them some kind of reward, even if it's just that they get to hand-feed the animals. That will make them want to be there more."
