Zoo: Animals and keepers

ANIMALS AND THE KEEPERS

Text and photo: Dante Diosina Jr

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the Philippines last year, there is a lot of changes happened in the country when the declaration of lockdown is implemented, several places are closed including the park and zoo wherein before hundred of people came to visit everyday.

One is the zoo that can be found in the middle of the busy area of Metro Manila there is a place that animals are alive, but due to lockdown, only the zookeeper is the only people can help them while the zoo is temporary closed.

A 56-years old Stella Condes is the oldest workers in the zoo. She is 22-years old she started to work in food preparation for the animals.

According to Stella "Simula noong 1987 hanggang ngayon dito na ako nag tatrabaho sa zoo, masaya naman kasama ung mga hayop, madalas ko silang pinupuntahan lalo ung mga ungoy, pinagmamasdan ko lang sila at ung mga nagsasalitang ibon nakakatuwa kasi kapag kinakausap mo eh sumasagot sila lalo kapag nagsasabi ka ng Good morning".

For the 35-years working at the zoo, her duty is food preparation for the animals. A lot of happening and co-workers passed by from trainee, keeper and also the animals.

"Pumasok ako dito yung elepante dyan maliit pa, ngayon ang lake-lake na" Stella added.

One of the workers of the zoo is Yolanda Magudatu, she works for 6 years and 6 months as a helper at the zoo.

According to Yolanda "Every year nagpapalit ng pwesto, una kong pwesto dito taga tadtad ng karne ng pagkaen para sa lion at tigre, sunod para naman sa mga unggoy at reptile tapos ngayon eto ung last para sa mga peacock at baboy, pero overall more on food preparation talaga".

The relationship between the zookeeper and animals develops, and become intimate as time goes by.

According to Yolanda "Madalas kapag nagpapakaen sumasama ako, natutuwa ako kasi nakikita ko kinakaen nila ung ginagawa ko, mahal namin yang mga hayup eh, favorite kong puntahan yung ungoy, nakakatuwa pakainin parang tao, kapag inaabutan mo aabutin talaga nila, lalo na ung saging".

"Alam mo kapag napapanood mo silang kumakaen, sa araw-araw ng ginagawa namin dito, mapapamahal ka talaga, magkakaroon ka ng koneksyon lalo na kapag konti lang ung natitira nila sa hinanda namin" Yolanda added.

It took years to gain a connection between the keeper and animals, sometimes the animals find difficulties to trust the keeper because it is not permanent and it always changing the keeper. The system of the zoo for the keeper is per category of animals but not 1:1, one keeper for the whole birds, one keeper for the tiger and lion but sometimes it depends on the animals like the elephant.

According to the veterinarian of the zoo, before when they hired the zookeeper they only need is the knowledge to read and write but now it's different, one of the most important are they have a good interest and understand the animals way of life.

The zoo was made to educate people and to save the endangered species because they are not safe anymore in the wild nowadays, the animals will find it difficult to find their habitat, like the elephant who lives in their zoo, with the help of the zoo, the lifespan of the elephant extend.

Noel Koh is the keeper of the elephant.

According to Noel "Sa buong 19 years kong nag tatrabaho dito sa zoo, ako na naghandle dito sa elepante for almost 17-18 years, Okay naman, tumatagal ang panahon after 10-years napa amo ko na sya, nakuwa ko na yung loob nya, nakilala nadin yung amoy ko, kaya kapag lalapit ako sa kanya alam nya ung amoy ko".

Noel is focused on the elephant, he has a simple life, for every day he always does is work and home. At work when the free time he always plays with the elephant so their bonding will strengthen.

According to Noel "Medyo mahirap kasi malake sya, at wild, hindi sya train elephant kasi eh nung bago sya dito, maraming care taker ang humawak kaya malakeng pagsubok din, sakin ung naging caretaker ako dito lalo na ung pinahandle na sakin ung elepante para kang dumaan sa butas ng karayom dyan eh, yung isang paa mo nakabaon na sa hukay, pwede kang madisgrasya, and lake nyan eh".

The life of a zookeeper is not an easy job, it is not just a maintenance worker that cleans and fed the animals but the keeper must find ways to know the animals. In many years of bonding between the animals and the keeper, a good relationship and deeper understanding by one another will gain between two. The keeper must know to himself that he/she like to be a keeper not just a job but a responsibility because it gives other meaning to the animals when the keeper is always changed time after time.

Nowadays, the zoo is closed when the COVID-19 pandemic happens, then they will not allow operating to prevent the spread of the virus because the zoo is a well-known place that every day hundreds of people will come.

The zoo is under renovation, wherein the area will extend the enclosure of every animal, and also it is one of the projects of the government and their target date it will finish at the month of December 2021.

Full effort is given by the worker of the zoo, for the almost whole day the keeper is always looking for their animals while the renovation is ongoing it will help the animals that they saw their keepers in their surroundings because of their intimate relationship with them it will lessen the stress that may feel during the renovation that gives noise in their area, while the veterinarian is also doing their job, it took to care for the animals and place it into a temporary enclosure while having the construction in their respective enclosure at the zoo.

According to one veterinarian "Kung nakakaintindi nga lang sila ng wika ng tao tong mga hayop, nakikiusap talaga kami na konting tiis nalang at matatapos na ang renovation, magtulungan tayo".

One of the major renovations at the zoo is the enclosure of the elephant that will give bigger place but as of now, they can't start yet because the elephant didn't transfer to another side of the enclosure so the renovation for the old enclosure can be started.

According to Noel "yung mga elepante kasi kapag nasa enclosure teritorial yan, ang tagal na nyan kasi dyan sa lugar na yan eh, hindi nya basta mabibitawan yan. halos ilang bwan ko ng sinsubukan talaga na pumunta sya dito sa bagong side ng enclosure nya, ginagawa ko nilalagyan ko ng pagkaen at ung ibang dumi nya nilalagay ko dito baka sakaling puntahan nya".

"Hindi din kasi pwedeng i-tranquilizer yan, matanda na yung elepante masyadong delikado sa kanya yun, lagpas na kasi yan sa lifespan nya at maganda kasi ang alaga namin dito sa zoo, kaya talagang aantayin lang namin sya na magkusang lumipat para masimulang ng ayusin ung enclosure nya" Noel added.

The new renovation of the zoo is designed for the animals it will expand the place and the enclosure, the world-class level is the target of the government and it will help the animals also.

The intimate relationship between the humans and the animals is beautiful wherein respect and understanding between the two are gained, they know what they need and they know what is right for them.