Rebecca Ziegler ’22 attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with the intention of going to the UT College of Veterinary Medicine after earning her bachelor’s degree in animal science. Instead, her experiences led her to a full-time position at Zoo Knoxville.
“Herbert helped me realize that there are so many other options when it comes to working with animals outside of veterinary medicine,” Ziegler said. She developed an interest in working with exotic animals and now pursues her passion for animals as a bird keeper.
A Greenbrier, Tennessee, native, Ziegler always wanted to go to UT Knoxville. She comes from a family of UT Knoxville alumni with both parents and her sister earning their degrees from the university. In fact, it is where her dad played football and where her parents first met. She said, “UT Knoxville, and more specifically Herbert, was the one and only school I applied to out of high school.”
Ziegler’s road to zoo keeping began with completing two internships at the Nashville Zoo—one with the carnivore team and one with the behavioral husbandry team. These opportunities led to a seasonal position at Zoo Knoxville with the wild encounters team. As she neared the end of her undergraduate program and finished her seasonal role, a full-time position with the bird department opened up. Zoo keeping is a competitive field, but Ziegler credits the internships, connections, and education she received at Herbert to landing this position.
As a bird keeper at Zoo Knoxville, Ziegler works on a “passionate team of dedicated keepers” who care for a wide variety of animals, including macaws, parrots, hawks, owls, hornbills, cranes, and even a sloth! She loves forming relationships with the animals she trains, stating, “Nothing is more rewarding than the training ‘dialogue’ that happens between you and the animal as you see them figure out the behavior.”
Additionally, Ziegler loves educating the Knoxville community on species information and conservation. “I am probably most passionate about conservation and value interactions with guests that leave them with a newfound appreciation for the species that call our zoo home,” she said.
Zoo Knoxville partnered with UT Knoxville to perform at two basketball halftime shows this season—one for men’s basketball and one for women’s. Animals who attend these types of events are called “Ambassador Animals,” and receive extra training to educate the public about their species. Ziegler brought Spencer the macaw to the men’s basketball game on November 4, and to the women’s game on November 16.
In addition to the halftime shows, Ziegler said the bird department is involved in many zoo events on grounds, like Zoofari and Brew at the Zoo. Off-grounds, Zoo Knoxville participates in a variety of educational programs for the community. Ziegler has even appeared on local news a couple of times with some “bird friends.”
Although much of Ziegler’s undergraduate work involved agricultural animals versus exotics, “a lot of the principles of animal care are universal.” She said, “As a keeper you wear many hats, and Herbert made me well-rounded when it comes to all the facets of animal care,” like husbandry, nutrition, reproduction, genetics, etc. “I am grateful for all of the opportunities I had at UT Knoxville and Herbert that taught me to think outside of the box, be curious and ask questions, and advocate for the animals,” she said.
Ziegler also expressed her gratitude toward the animal science faculty. “Without each and every one of them, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” she said.
