NAME: Sarah Gerke

DEPARTMENT: Little Rock Zoo

TITLE: Senior Keeper of Carnivores

BACKGROUND: I attended Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Art degree in Psychology.

I started my career at the Kansas City Zoo working with a variety of animals including reptiles, primates, hoof stock, birds as well as carnivores. After working a few years at Kansas City I got an opportunity to work at Zoo Miami in Florida within the Amazon and Beyond section of the mammal department. I continued to gain great experience in this field that I love, but after a few years so far from home I was ready to get back home. So when I saw a position at Little Rock Zoo, which was not only close to home for me but also a position in management of carnivores I was more than thrilled to apply and be welcomed to the City of Little Rock team.        

WHEN DID YOU START WORKING FOR THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK? I have been working for the City of Little Rock for a little over 3 years.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR JOB? As the senior keeper of carnivores I spend a majority of my days working in all three carnivore areas at the zoo, including our Small Carnivore area, Bear area, as well as our Big Cat Area. So this includes general exhibit maintenance, cleaning up after animals, feeding and medicating the animals, as well as providing each animal with mentally simulating enrichment and training opportunities. I am also responsible for working with the Carnivore Curator in supervising the carnivore staff, including staff scheduling, communicating information between keepers and higher management, and making sure that we create a safe and enjoyable environment for the animals, staff, and visitors. 

WHAT IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL PART OF YOUR WORK? The work I do is something I am passionate about, so I find every aspect meaningful, but getting to share my passion by educating our community, and hopefully inspiring them to want to take part in conservation is what I hope to accomplish 

WHAT SHOULD CITIZENS KNOW ABOUT YOUR DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM? Zoos play a very important role in conservation. We participate in programs of breeding endangered species and conservation projects, both locally as well as globally. We also strive to educate the public about the environmental problems that we are facing and how they can contribute to aiding in the solution to those problems.

WHAT IS A FACT ABOUT YOU THAT MIGHT SURPRISE PEOPLE? When I was 21 I went skydiving, which was amazing!

WHAT IS DOWNTIME FOR YOU? Well I have five pets at home, including my dog Riley, two cats Sophie and Junebug, as well as two turtles, Mikey and Ralphie. So they tend to keep me busy, but Riley and I enjoy going on hikes or the dog park. I also play on a recreational soccer team and occasionally can be found drawing in a sketch pad.

FAVORITE PLACE IN LITTLE ROCK? Anywhere my dog and I can go for a hike, but our favorite is probably Pinnacle Mountain.

WHAT ONE WORD, PHRASE, OR QUOTE CAPTURES WHO YOU ARE? Passionate