Marie Galloway, Elephant Manager Elephant House
What do you do? What are your main responsibilities?
I am responsible for developing and maintaining the National Zoo's elephant management program. A good elephant management program requires a team of dedicated, experienced, professional trainers. My job is to direct and train that team and the management of the elephants. Together, and with the support of incredible Zoo staff and services, we ensure that the Zoo elephants always maintain an excellent quality of life.
How long have you worked with animals? How long have you worked at National Zoo?
I have worked at the Zoo since 1987.
How did you get started?
I always wanted to work with animals, especially anything involving training. However, most animal-related jobs either required experience that I did not have and could not get, or paid very poorly. After many years of working in a few different fields, I decided that liking my job was more important than making a lot of money. So, I did what I could to gain experience so that I could apply for a position as a zoo keeper.
I worked as a veterinary assistant for a year just to qualify to volunteer as a keeper aide. For another year I volunteered at the Great Ape House five mornings a week, worked as a security guard in the afternoon so that I could pay my bills, and in the evening I continued to work at an animal hospital! On weekends, I only worked eight hours a day at the animal hospital. Finally, I was hired for what was formerly called the North Mammal Unit—large mammals, hardy hoof, delicate hoof, and pandas.
I knew I wanted to work with elephants as soon as I learned about them, and I spent every spare moment I had with the elephant keepers, shoveling, cleaning and watching as much as they would let me. Eventually they gave me a permanent position (mostly because I did well with the elephants) and five years later I had become the elephant manager.
What do you like most about your job?
I love training. I love it when people and animals work together to accomplish a goal. I like knowing that I have not only made a difference in the lives of the elephants that live here at National Zoo, but that I have made a significant contribution to how elephants are managed under human care in North America. I think that the changes I have helped to establish would have happened eventually anyway, but I am grateful and proud that I have been a part of this progress.
Equally importantly, I love sharing my life with elephants, and knowing them like most people know their friends and family. I feel that this is an incredible privilege that I am lucky to have!
What do you like least?
Not much! The few things on the list: being accused of wrongdoing by people who assume that elephant keepers either have evil intentions or are ignorant of elephant care; being watched every moment of every day; meetings; and struggling with a schedule and demands that make it difficult to be there as much as I would like for my daughter.
What is a typical day like for you?
There are always two elephant keepers working together. Here is a typical day for us:
| 6:30 | Check on all the elephants and the exhibit. Read previous day's keeper reports, check emails for relevant information. |
| 7:30 | Separate Ambika from Shanthi so that Ambika can enjoy eating some of her food at her preferred leisurely pace. Allow Kandula and Shanthi to share some social time with just the two of them. Clean enclosures, yards, and pools. Perform an extensive training session with Kandula, including a health check. Feed Kandula some hay or bamboo and provide enrichment (usually toys). |
| 8 | Walk with Ambika and Shanthi around the yard for exercise for about 20 minutes. Bathe and scrub Ambika and Shanthi, perform a health check and foot care. Feed them a small portion of their diet as reward for participating in their bath. |
| 9 | Provide Ambika, Shanthi and Kandula with time to socialize together in the exhibit. |
| 10 | Bring Kandula inside for a bath and scrub while the visitors watch. |
| 11 | Perform a training demonstration with Ambika and Shanthi. |
| 11:30 | Perform a training session with Kandula. |
| 1 | Perform a training and/or exercise session with each elephant. |
| 2 | Rake yards, bleach pools, clean moats and other areas as needed. |
| 3 or 6, depending on elephant keeper shifts | Facilitate Kandula’s growing social maturity by providing him with his own space, separate from Ambika and Shanthi until morning. (Adult bulls are independent and competitive; they do not live within the family structure of the matriarchal herds. Kandula is increasingly independent from the females.) |
Once a week, we weigh all the elephants and collect blood and urine samples.
Of course, a day is rarely typical and there is always a long list of other projects!
What's the most interesting thing about the animals you work with?
The most interesting thing... is that there is no end to interesting things! Elephants are amazingly intelligent, perceptive individuals.
What's your favorite animal in the world and why?
Elephants and dogs.
Elephants never cease to be fascinating. I enjoy watching and learning how such intelligent, social, and adaptable creatures interact with each other, with people, with other animals and with their environment. They are so different from us, but yet, in many ways they are so similar to us, and they are so willing to share their lives with humans, if only we give them the chance.
Dogs—I don't know—I just love 'em!
