Lion, tigers, and Newtown residents - oh my! Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport is home to more than 350 animals and just so happens to also be the place where many who live in Newtown choose to work to make a positive difference in the lives of animals.

The Newtown Bee sat down with five of those local residents to find out about the work they do behind the scenes to help make Connecticut's one and only zoo a fun and educational experience for all.

Rainforest In The City

With the Beardsley Zoo's variety of enclosures, it has the ability to care for animals from all different regions of the world, including rainforests.

Sandy Hook resident Ryan Paoletti is a zookeeper at the Beardsley Zoo, in charge of all the exhibits in the Rainforest Building, which houses a wide range of monkeys, boas, bats, and frogs.

He started his profession in animal care back in 2012, while working in the Farm Yard area of the zoo. He trained with seasoned keepers, gaining hands-on experience that set the foundation for him to branch out working with the rainforest animals full-time.

Before the zoo is even open to the public, Mr Paoletti can be found evaluating the animals, feeding them, and cleaning the area.

"We check on all the animals' well-being and make sure everyone is healthy," he said.

Zookeepers like Mr Paoletti also practice certain routines with the animals on a regular basis. They train animals by rewarding them with treats when they accomplish acts like standing up, walking on a scale, or opening their mouth.

These specific actions are called "behaviors," as they are natural for the animal to do, and help keepers evaluate the animal's welfare more easily.

Mr Paoletti is also in charge of one of the zoo's newest additions, Rochan the red panda, whose current enclosure is right outside the Rainforest Building.

Since there are fewer than 10,000 adult red pandas in existence, the zoo hopes to support not only Rochan, but also create an enclosure for him and maybe others.

Earlier this year, the Beardsley Zoo broke ground on The Natt Family Red Panda Pavilion, which was created thanks to Helen and Bob Natt of Easton, who made a substantial donation, along with a matching grant for monies raised by supporter donations from the Werth Family Foundation.

Mr Paoletti says many visitors purposefully come out to see Rochan, and he has already attracted a lot of attention for his cute looks.

In honor of Rochan, the zoo will even be celebrating International Red Panda Day on September 19 with special activities for children and Mr Paoletti will give a talk at the red panda exhibit.

The Beardsley Zoo is not only a place for guests to admire the animals, but also where people can learn about what these animal's lives are like in the wild.

"One of the greatest things I can do is educate visitors that come in about the animals and the conservation efforts that are necessary," Mr Paoletti said. "For me, that's one of the most rewarding things that I can do."

Big Cats Remain Wild

Zookeeper Bethany Thatcher moved to Newtown two years ago after learning how many of her coworkers lived in town.

Growing up rescuing abandoned animals and working in a pet store, she made an easy transition to caring for her 40 animals at the Beardsley Zoo. Today she specializes in predatory big cats like the tigers, leopards, and lynx, the latter who just had cubs.

Her routine day is similar to Mr Paoletti's in that animal care and the cleanliness of the environment is priority.

"We get satisfaction from making sure our animals are clean, healthy, and happy," Ms Thatcher said.

She does daily feedings and monitors their welfare to make sure each animal is acting normally. Even the slightest change gets noted for their veterinarian to monitor.

To help with medical check-ups, Ms Thatcher works with the big cats on behavior practices, saying, "I like training the animals to participate in their own health care... If we can do it behaviorally, it's so much less stressful for them.

"So every time I get a difficult animal to overcome a barrier - like an animal that won't even come to me to take food but will then let me inject their vaccines without any sedation - it is this huge, amazing feeling, because you get that trust built up with them."

Earlier this year, the Beardsley Zoo brought in a new Amur tiger from the Philadelphia Zoo, named Changbai.

Despite Changbai hiding under her bed for weeks, Ms Thatcher and the big cat keepers worked with her diligently to get her out of her shell and acclimate her to her new environment. Changbai now demonstrates the behaviors reinforced in the training sessions, like laying down for injections, and has begun to adjust well to her new home.

Ms Thatcher says even though the animals at the Beardsley Zoo are all born in captivity (none are taken from the wild) and they train with the animals and build up a certain level of trust, they will always be wild animals and unable to be domesticated.

Part of her job and her personal mission, having seen and heard of many injustices, is to educate the public that these awe-inspiring animals should not be pets.

"Wild animals should only be cared for by people who are trained to do so. They should not be kept at people's houses or backyard zoos," Ms Thatcher said.

Accredited institutions, like the Beardsley Zoo, which has gone through a rigorous process to be part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), are designed to make sure animal welfare is first and foremost.

She explained, "Accredited zoos are preserving species for future generations and we are educating people and looking after welfare."

She added that people should never pay for a photo with cubs from unaccredited institutions, as some places breed animals for profit, then euthanize them when they become too large to handle.

"I always try to educate people," Ms Thatcher said.

Educating The Public

Many of the employees at the Beardsley Zoo share Ms Thatcher's same passion for teaching visitors about the zoo's animals and the important issues going on in the world.

Newtown resident Jim Knox has been curator of education for nearly 20 years, after getting his start working as a zookeeper in the predator exhibit, and says his role today allows him to interact and connect with both people and animals in a "positive, engaging, educational way."

"No two days are exactly alike... When you work with living things and 280,000 people a year, give or take, it's dynamic and things change. It can be challenging at times, but is always gratifying," Mr Knox explained. "[Because] anytime we can really spark interest or kindle interest in wildlife, nature, and protecting this planet we love, that's a good thing."

Each day has components of public education, marketing and promotion of the facility, some animal care, and interfacing with different departments like zoo administration.

He says a big part about being an educator is spreading the word that people can always make a difference.

Even just purchasing a ticket to the Beardsley Zoo, Mr Knox said, helps animals at the zoo, as well as in the wild. From every ticket sold, 25 cents is put toward a conservation contribution.

Already this year some of those funds have been donated to help save a critically endangered species of porpoise, called the vaquita, off the coast of Mexico.

Mr Knox is dedicated to inspiring visitors to help and will even be participating in a TedX Talk at Danbury High School on October 5 to educate more people about conservation and animal behaviors.

Volunteer Efforts

With only about 50 paid staff members at the Beardsley Zoo, Mr Knox said, they rely on the 200 volunteers to help the zoo thrive.

"Without our volunteers, we can't do what we do," Mr Knox said with appreciation.

That is why volunteers like Newtown resident Al Hildred are critical to helping the zoo continue its mission to connect people and animals.

Mr Hildred moved to Newtown in 1986, and shortly thereafter began working at Aquarion Water Company. His career allowed him to become familiar with the plumbing end of the zoo's facility.

Then in 1997, he decided to become a volunteer after seeing the caring nature of the Beardsley Zoo and how they are a resource to the community.

Now, 20 years later, after completing a very comprehensive training program, he has the title of volunteer docent.

"I've done a little bit of everything over the years," Mr Hildred said.

He is involved with the zoo's Docent Council as an officer, and past president, helping set the agenda to support the education department. He also participates in spending time with guests, answering questions, and educating them about the zoo, as well as helping with some of the animals to make sure their needs are met.

Since Mr Hildred does not receive monetary compensation for his work, he says that hearing the thanks from staff and guests is important to him as a volunteer.

"The thank you means so much more than any money," Mr Hildred said.

Hands-On Learning

Newtown resident Amanda Rivera is currently interning at the Beardsley Zoo, while attending Norwalk Community College for a veterinary technology degree.

Having had an interest in wildlife and conservation, she was inspired to take a summer internship and loved it so much she pursued a second internship that started this semester.

"In the summer I was in the Rainforest House, where the monkeys and sloths are," Ms Rivera said.

It was there she learned to create different enrichment for the animals and make their diets everyday.

Now she works with the animal predators and has been able to attended different vet procedures to observe the surgeries.

She hopes to one day become at zookeeper at the Beardsley Zoo and use the skills she is acquiring to work in the clinic.

"There are a lot of opportunities to learn here," Ms Rivera said. "The people that work here are a different breed of people... and give 100 percent into making sure the animals are well taken care of."

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, 1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport, is open daily from 9 am to 4 pm. For more information about Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo and how to become a volunteer, visit beardsleyzoo.com or follow the zoo on Facebook.

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