In the D.C. region, conversations often start with, 鈥淲hat do you do?鈥� 91欧美激情鈥檚 series 鈥�Working Capital鈥� profiles the people doing the work that makes the region unique.
Imagine being face-to-face with 300-plus pound apex predators every day of your life.
“I do forget how unique it is sometimes,” said Charlie Shaw, animal keeper of big cats at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. “I go home and people are like, 鈥榃hat鈥檇 you do today?鈥� Oh, I just fed a tiger. They鈥檙e like 鈥榶ou fed a tiger!鈥� People don’t do that!”
Shaw said ever since he got to the zoo over five years ago, working with the majestic creatures in the zoo’s Great Cats wing has been a dream. He is one of a small handful of zookeepers that work with the zoo’s tigers and lions.
鈥淭hey give you a tour of the zoo when you first get here, and a guy goes, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 your 5-year plan?鈥� Shaw told 91欧美激情. “And I said, I think I want to work with big cats. Then, a year in, they鈥檙e like, ‘We鈥檙e transferring you,’ and I was like, ‘Well, no more 5-year plan. I guess I鈥檓 already there!’鈥�
The first thing you see when you walk inside the Great Cats wing are multiple massive lions slumbering 鈥� which is enough to wake anyone up early in the morning.
A typical day in his life starts with food, which can be a pretty big motivation for all the cats here, particularly 16-year-old tiger Damai. The Sumatran tiger paces eagerly waiting for raw beef chunks to be deposited into her cage.
“She’s like, ‘Where are the snacks?'” Shaw joked.
Between the lions and tigers, like 3-year-old Vostok, of the very large Amur (also known as Siberian) species, thousands of grams of raw protein are devoured every day.
The second activity of the day involves “enrichment,” which involves setting up toys in the enclosures to engage the cats and provide entertainment to stimulate their minds.
There’s a wide variety to choose from: a giant whiffle ball-like toy with a smaller ball in the middle, and even giant beer kegs that Shaw said some of the lions use like a barrel-roll treadmill.
Part of enrichment also includes sprinkling spices into the cats’ cages. Shaw said cats communicate through scents and their affinity for certain smells is almost like wearing a signature cologne.
On the particular day 91欧美激情 shadowed Shaw, he sprinkled some fennel into Damai’s cage. Minutes later when she entered, she rolled around on the floor where the spice was sprinkled to cover herself in the scent.
鈥淢y favorite is training with these guys,” Shaw said, referring to the coolest part of the job.
Training is the crux of what makes the relationship between keeper and big cat thrive. They鈥檝e got it down to a science at the zoo, so Shaw is able do things like tell the tigers to open their mouths, so he can examine them to see if they need dental care.
But, he warned, you must tread lightly.
鈥淚t is remembering that they still are very dangerous wild animals, which is why we have all that safety stuff,” he said.
A big part of Shaw鈥檚 job is making sure gates are locked, doors are barred and all precautions are followed to coexist peacefully.
鈥淭hey look so friendly. Especially Vostok, he has such a sweet face,” Shaw said. “And you鈥檙e like 鈥楯ust one hug!鈥� No. There would be one hug, but that would be it forever!”
The last component of a great cat keeper’s job, conservation, is arguably the most important.
The zoo just got a new tiger that hasn鈥檛 been introduced to the public yet. Her name is Coba, and she鈥檚 set to be paired with Vostok in an aim to help repopulate the species.
鈥淭igers are critically endangered,” Shaw said. “What we want to do is make sure the gene pool itself is still very diverse.鈥�
In an ideal world, Shaw said, he wouldn’t be giving this interview, and the great cats wouldn鈥檛 be here 鈥� they鈥檇 be safe to roam free.
鈥淏ut if (the zoo has) to do it, at least people can come and go, ‘Oh, my God, that tiger. So cool! How can I help tigers at home?’鈥�
Next time you visit the National Zoo, Shaw recommended asking a zookeeper about how you can help these majestic creatures each and every day. They offer windows each day where the public can meet a great cats keeper and ask questions.
Your daily conservation contribution as a citizen could be as simple as buying fewer products that contain palm oil in your day-to-day life.
“One of the big things for tigers is habitat 鈥� and there are more sustainable ways to go about it,” Shaw said, adding: “Deforestation is the main factor in a lot of these big cats are losing their habitats.”
As the zoo crosses its fingers for a new tiger cub sometime in the not-too-distant future, Shaw said he’ll keep doing what he does best.
鈥淵ou walk in and the tigers all chuff at you, or the lions roar. And you鈥檙e like, 鈥極h, my God, this is my job every day!鈥�”
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