Wild at heart

For Edmonton Valley Zoo staff, this isn’t just a job. It’s a calling.

 

At the crack of dawn, while most of Edmonton is still asleep, a quiet buzz begins behind the gates of the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Before the first visitor walks through the turnstiles, and before the first excited sloth sighting, zoo staff are already feeding, cleaning, and caring.

For animal care workers here, this isn’t just work. It’s devotion. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a calling.

 

 

From the smallest burrowing owl to the majestic Amur tiger, every animal has individual needs, preferences, and its own personality. Zookeepers pour their hearts into their work every day. They aren’t just animal experts, they are behaviourists, nutritionists, and often emotional caregivers. When an animal is stressed, ill or grieving the loss of a companion, the keepers are the first to notice. They are also the first to act.

 

“We develop such deep relationships with the animals in our care,” says long-time zookeeper Karyn MacDonald. “You don’t just leave the job when you get home. You worry, you think about them all the time. Emergencies with animals don’t happen only from 9 to 5.” These strong bonds come with a sense of responsibility that doesn’t switch off at the end of a shift. On holidays and weekends, during snowstorms or heatwaves, animals still need to be fed, medications administered, and habitats maintained. “We have all raced back for animal care needs, whether it’s treating a sick animal or bottle-feeding a baby at all hours of the night,” MacDonald continues. “We are extremely dedicated to their needs.” Most visitors see the zoo during its polished, boisterous public hours. But behind the scenes is a carefully choreographed routine that begins early and often runs late into the evening.

 

Keepers start their day with both physical and mental health checks: Are the animals behaving normally? Are they eating? Are they alert? The slightest changes in behaviour can be the first sign of illness or distress and missing it can spell disaster. Feeding is a massive operation. Each animal follows a specialized diet, carefully prepared according to nutritional requirements and the highest standards. Some eat every few hours, others eat only once or twice a day. “Scarp, the three-banded armadillo, will not eat his vegetables if they are touching or if they are not minced thoroughly,” says Heather Fedyna-Carter, another zookeeper. “I love when animals have preferences for their food and ‘tell us’ what they want.” Next up is enrichment, a crucial part of the daily routine and key to each animal’s well-being. Keepers stash treats in puzzle feeders, build toys and activities, or create seasonal themes with scents and props to keep animals mentally stimulated and physically active. And, of course, there is cleaning. Lots and lots of cleaning.

 

Fedyna-Carter laughs, “Twenty-first-century animal care is so much more than scooping poop! We advocate for the complete well-being of each individual, whatever the species. That means we consider their social, mental, and physical needs in every decision we make.”

 

 

Zookeepers celebrate births, mourn deaths, and witness the full lifespans of the animals in their care. Many can recount stories of sick animals they have nursed back to health, babies they have hand-reared, or companions they have said heartbreaking goodbyes to after years of friendship.

“We had to save a baby pronghorn by performing an emergency C-section,” recalls zookeeper Amanda Sanders. “We had to bottle feed him every three hours, even throughout the night. He bonded quite closely with us. Once he was introduced to the herd, we’d call him, and he’d come running across the pasture to see us.”

 

Visitors are aware of some of the obvious challenges zookeepers face, like hauling bales of hay in extreme heat or lifting heavy creatures. But other difficulties run much deeper. “The toughest part of the job is the emotional toll it takes on you,” MacDonald says. “We spend more time with our work critters than we do with our own at home. So, when an animal passes, it feels over time as though your body is cut by thousands of tiny paper cuts. It’s so hard to say goodbye to beloved friends.” “Some animals can kill you,” Sanders adds. “Some can make you very sick. Most people can see the physical aspect of the job but will never grasp the mental and emotional load that comes with it.”

 

CUPE 30 President Eric Lewis notes that supporting members through those moments is a union priority. “Union members are more than co-workers. We spend so much of our days with one another working on the front lines, sharing stories, laughing together, and watching out for each other. We are like a second family.”

 

 

Animals rely on their keepers, and keepers can always rely on their union. And for many of the staff at Edmonton Valley Zoo, that union is CUPE 30. “I believe strongly in the power of unions,” MacDonald says proudly. “The balance of power between rich and poor only grows further and unions are our way to fight back. We all deserve a living wage, and unions have historically combated those inequities. They are at the forefront of the fight for all people who don’t have a voice.”

 

Unions, like the teams at the zoo, operate on care, trust, and solidarity. There is a deep understanding among CUPE 30 members that everyone’s work matters. Whether they’re hosing down barns, designing enrichment activities, or handling logistics, every person’s contribution is important. “When we stand together, we win together,” Lewis exclaims. And victories at the bargaining table ripple outward, closing wage gaps and strengthening the middle class far beyond the zoo gates.

 

Lewis sees that solidarity daily: “As president, it’s my privilege to support every member, making sure their voice is heard! A union is more than an organization for its members, it is a voice for all workers. When we win for our members, we raise the bar for all workers. When we unite, we remind the world that every job has dignity, and that every worker deserves respect, a fair wage, benefits, and safe working conditions.”

 

 

There is a reason the word heart keeps coming up again and again when talking to zookeepers. It’s not just about the animals they care for. It’s about their colleagues, the visitors, and the community they’ve built, and it’s about the solidarity they feel as union members, the solidarity that binds them. Heart means staying late when a calf is sick, coming in early to make sure Cactus the porcupine gets his favourite fruits, and pushing, through CUPE 30, for better safety gear, more staff support, and proper training, because safe workers mean safe animals, too. It also means recognizing that love and labour are deeply intertwined: caring for animals requires heart, and standing together as workers, as union members, and as human beings requires courage.

 

The job can be messy, hard, and occasionally heartbreaking, but for CUPE 30 members at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, it is also rich with meaning, connection, and joy. In the quiet early hours before the gates open, and in the tired moments after they close, zoo staff know what drives them: a deep, wild love for the creatures they serve, and for one another.