Most of the 2011 Hyenas at Graduation
News and Events
Summer Internships
The summer internships have concluded. Once again, our AMG student keepers were spread out over the country getting a wide variety of experiences. Following the classroom portions, they shared their experiences and received both American Heart Saver (human) CPR/AED certification and American Red Cross Pet First Aid training. Way to go gang!
2011 Hyenas finish!
The Hyenas have finished their AMG careers! Philadelphia Zoo was the destination for the final year trip with a stop at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey.
Rotation at Rosamond Gifford Zoo
It was another great year on rotation at Syracuse's Rosamond Gifford Zoo. This winter was one of the snowiest of all time in Syracuse! Thank you to the zoo's team, especially the amazing team of mentors that guided our student keepers through the semester.
Snake Handling
Tom Hudak returned for his annual workshop on snake handling. Under his supervision student keepers were able to practice proper snake handling techniques - on both non-venomous and venomous. The workshop is always a highlight of the group's year. Thanks, Tom!
Fossa in Binghamton
The AMG Fossa visited Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park for a workshop on zoo horticulture. The weather was still a little cool, but the welcome was warm. Thank you to Binghamton Zoo and especially Liz and Patrick for the workshop.
The Wild Center
For Aquarium Science, AMG traveled to Tupper Lake to visit the Wild Center. It was the first time that AMG traveled to Tupper Lake! It is a beautiful facility with a strong educational focus. Curator David Gross welcomed our group and gave us an excellent behind-the-scenes tour of their impressive water management facility. Thanks, David!
Super Science Saturday 2011
Hundreds of families attended the 4th annual Super Science Saturday on campus. The event, targeted to students in 5th through 8th grades, gave attendees a chance to learn about animals, chemistry, biology, geology, math, engineering and health-related careers. AMG was front-and-center with the AMG Hyenas giving interactive public demonstrations and the Fossa providing exhibitor support. What a success!
North Country Animal Health Center
This year, AMG started a new Introduction to Veterinary Science course in conjunction with North Country Animal Health Center. Students attended lecture upstairs before going downstairs into the clinic for practical training in the state-of-the-art veterinary hospital. A special thank you to Dr. David Plante and the team at NCAHC for making us welcome!
In the "Heart of the Jungle"
Dr. Irwin was invited to participate in the 10th annual South Asia Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation's (SAZARC) 10th annual conference and give a series of lectures and facilitate working groups. The theme of the conference was emergency and crisis management, with most of his topics focused to emerging disease and staff training. The event was held in Chitwan National Park - Chitwan meaning "in the heart of the jungle". Attendees were invited from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bhutan. Outside of the conference, attendees were able to tour the park by canoe and elephant. Towards the end of his visit, he was able to visit Kathmandu's Central Zoo and speak to their team of keepers. It was an amazing experience and everyone was very welcoming.
Utica Zoo
This Fall, the AMG Hyenas were able to hit-the-road and travel to the Utica Zoo. It was AMG's first visit to Utica. Several of the zoo's team took time to welcome and speak with our group - specifically about their exhibits as this trip was associated with our exhibit design course. Everyone had a great visit! A big thank you to Beth and Mike for welcoming us and helping with arrangements.
Zoo Keeping 101 at New York State Zoo
The AMG freshmen were hosted at the NYS Zoo for a zoo keeper 101 training workshop with general curator, Sue. After some role playing, a mock animal move, and practice coiling a hose, discussion focused on characteristics of successful keepers. It was the students' first trip to a zoo as a class. Thanks Sue!
Hyenas at the New York State Fair
The Hyenas visited the NYS Fair to check out the animal displays as part of their clinical and animal welfare courses. It was a hot and humid day with temperatures in the 90s but fun was had by all... and such great food!
New Summer Internships in the Animal Management Program!
As part of the newly redesigned Animal Management Program curriculum, second-year students completed internships over the summer. Placements were as far away as Phoenix, AZ and gave students valuable workplace experience with a zoo, aquarium, conservancy or state DEC agency. Classroom content included practical presentations about each person's experience and both American Heart Saver (human) CPR/AED certification and Red Cross Pet First Aid certification. A special thank you to the organizations that hosted the animal management students this summer and to Mrs. Barter (Human) and Mr. Hall (Pet) for providing the certification training.
GRIZZLIES Graduate!
The AMG 2010 Grizzly Bears have graduated. Thank you for all of your hard work! The Hyenas did a great job of arranging the Final Year Party - zip lines, rapping, great food and human pyramids... Go Grizzlies!
Hyenas visit Kindred Kingdoms Wildlife Rehabilitation
As part of their Behavioral Husbandry course, the 2011 Hyenas prepared animal enrichment for the rehabilitation animals at Kindred Kingdoms. Thank you to the Sopranos for hosting and teaching us about their incredible operation.
Final Year Trip: Grizzlies head to the National Zoo in Washington, DC
For their final year trip, the AMG Grizzly Bears went to Washington DC. The first evening took us to the National Mall.
Our second day saw us visit the National Zoo for a special tour where we were able to get an insider's glimpse at animal care and some of the new developments at the zoo. A big thank you to Don for making our visit fun and educational!
Day three saw us back at the National Mall for a visit to the Museum of Natural History and other attractions. We had a ball!
On our final day, we stopped on our journey home to visit the Maryland Zoo. It was rainy, but a great experience and lots of fun!
Last day of Spring Rotation at Syracuse's Rosamond Gifford Zoo
With the warm weather here and final exams approaching, the Grizzlies and Hyenas finished their clinical rotations at the zoo for the year. A great semester! Thanks to the zoo staff for their mentorship all year long and to the students for their work; especially to the Grizzlies who have finished their last rotation.
