March 2022 – OMAHA BLOG: OMAHA EVENTS AND MORE!

Omaha Interview: Omaha Zoo, Sarah Armstrong

OmahaNebraska.com Interview with Sarah Armstrong, Elephant Manager
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

OmahaNebraska.com:
One of the questions I’d like to ask is how did you get here? What prepared you for it? This could be strange things you were only realized like at this point in your life that that was kind of preparation.

Sarah Armstrong:
Yeah, I probably have the strangest path to elephants out there. I started my career here back in 2002 in the Desert Dome as a reptile and amphibian keeper. And then as things progressed along, I moved to help develop our amphibian conservation area with our reptile curator here at the Zoo, Jesse Krebs. Then I had the goal of wanting to become a supervisor by the time I was 30, and we were looking for a supervisor for Madagascar. I happened to get that position, which was fantastic.

After a year and a half in that position, my husband landed his dream job, which sent us to St. Louis. I resigned and moved to St. Louis with him which was great, in a sense, because I became a hellbender keeper there, which is back to amphibians. The hellbender is the largest aquatic salamander in North America. They can get up to two feet long and cold water mountain streams is where they are found. I was working with a head start program, a captive reproduction program for those, because they are in danger. And so we were breeding and head starting and releasing, which was incredible.

Then my husband got transferred back to Omaha which also wasn’t a bad thing. When I came back, this was all under construction and they were still looking for an elephant manager for the department. Upon my return, I reached out to curators and staff here because I had left on good terms, having said, “Hey, I’m going to be back and I really want to come back to the company.” This opportunity was presented to me if I would be interested in it. And so, you know, I’ve had a career interest in training. This has taught me volumes, having to work with such an intelligent animal, but I think overall my career with venomous reptiles, which are dangerous animals, and then just attention to detail with some of the specific stuff to amphibians, my exposure to mammals through Madagascar… it was a unique mix of things and being part of so many exhibits being developed here at the Zoo. It put me in, I think, a relatively unique place to succeed in this position. And I did not do it alone by any means. We had a consultant. My boss, our large mammal curator, Dan Houser, he had 30 years elephant experience. He mentored me, our consultant, a team that I have working with me, all of those things come together because this is not a one person thing, at all, to make this to make this happen and have this be successful. I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with a lot of really incredible people to help develop myself to be successful in this kind of role.

OmahaNebraska.com:
I’m sure part of you didn’t want to move. But then it led you on a really cool path that you didn’t expect.

Sarah Armstrong:
Absolutely. Everything happens for a reason. There’s a journey and a purpose and I love it.

OmahaNebraska.com:
Thank you.

Omaha Interview: Omaha Zoo, Dr. Laura Kleinschmidt

OmahaNebraska.com Interview with Dr. Laura Kleinschmidt, Veterinarian
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium

OmahaNebraska.com:
What prepared you for this? Why did you want to do this? This is pretty amazing.

Dr. Laura Kleinschmidt:
So, I am a veterinarian and basically started as a little girl, and instead of Barbies, I liked playing with animal toys and horses and all sorts of things. So, from a very young age I knew I wanted to be a zoo veterinarian. And basically to become a zoo veterinarian you go through a lot of school. So undergraduate, which is a four-year college degree, followed by vet school, four years, and then five years of post-graduate training, as well. So I spent a little bit of time at Texas A&M University learning in their zoological medicine program. I spent three years of residency at the St. Louis Zoo and then I was a couple of years at the Dallas Zoo after residency before I came to Omaha a couple of years ago here.

So yeah, a long road to get into the field and certainly something I’ve always been passionate about and wanting to do.

But I think my biggest goal in being involved as a zoo professional is to promote the conservation of these unique animals. I have such a passion for it. Many of the folks who have already talked today have shown their passion, and so we really want to share that with the world, with our communities, and inspire that same passion into the next generation.

And the kids coming up through school and inspire them to want to save our animals in our natural environment.

OmahaNebraska.com:
It is such an important task.

Dr. Laura Kleinschmidt:
It is. Yes.

OmahaNebraska.com:
I don’t think people understand the magnitude of it and how quickly it can slip away.

Dr. Laura Kleinschmidt:
Everyday habitats are getting smaller and smaller in the natural world and really people like us, who work in our field all the zoo professionals across the world, that really want to promote, “Hey! this is important that we want to save the natural world for generations to come.”

OmahaNebraska.com:
Outside of the zoo, how would you recommend people try to save elephants?

Dr. Laura Kleinschmidt:
I think even small things, day to day things, can really contribute towards saving the natural environment. Things as simple as making sure you don’t litter, making sure your recycling your plastics so making sure we are not constantly filling our landfills and taking up that space.

OmahaNebraska.com:
So, those little steps every day ..

Dr. Laura Kleinschmidt:
Yes, those little steps turning off the water faucet when you are brushing your teeth, between rinses, taking quicker showers, I think there are all little things that we certainly can do.

If you are able to volunteer at your local wildlife rehabilitation center or a zoo and help contribute to things like that and certainly contribute monetarily towards that . . .

Because zoos send millions of dollars towards conservation organizations that are working in Africa, that are working in South America . . .

Every year they are contributing towards these places that want to keep the natural world alive and I think we do a really good job here as well collaborating with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to also conserve our natural species here in the US as well.

All those things are important.

OmahaNebraska.com:
Thank you.

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Announces a New Baby Elephant!

At a press conference today to introduce two new baby elephants (Eugenia and Sonny), Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium announced that another baby elephant is on the way!!