COVID-19 Impacts Zookeeper

Little did Angie Blommer ’04 know a trip with her parents to Watertown’s Bramble Park Zoo would pay off in a lifelong career.

Now in her 13th year as a zookeeper at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, Blommer was with her parents when the (Gray) wolves were being fed. Her mother said Angie would love that job.

“They later took my name and offered me a job because I was in SDSU’s wildlife and fisheries program,” Blommer said. “The zookeeper said they were looking for help. I called for information, and they had me come in for an interview right away. I was given a seasonal keeper job right after my interview. Being in SDSU’s wildlife and fisheries program showed them I was serious about a career with wildlife and helped me get my job.”

After graduating from State, the Jackson, Minnesota, native learned of an opening at the Great Plains Zoo and started there. Other than three years at a Nebraska zoo, Blommer has been taking care of animals at the Sioux Falls zoo ever since.

Like in so many areas recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted that, too, particularly after a tiger tested positive for COVID-19 at the Bronx Zoo in New York, but the animals still need to be cared for.

“Life has been very different; we’re used to being open to the public 361 days a year. We’re extra careful—we don’t want our endangered species to get sick, so we take every precaution possible,” she said, describing her layers of protective gear. “We know the big cats can get it, so we have to be more careful, but we can’t stop living either. Luckily, we have a vet on staff to make sure we can keep the animals safe and make sure we are safe all of the time.”

In addition to the zoo being closed, staff hours changed. However, some parts of her job have not as she still promotes the animals and educates others about the wonders of the natural world.

“I’m used to talking to people, explaining my job and talking to children who want to be a zookeeper … what’s changed is how we deliver the message. If we didn’t have social media, I don’t know how we’d get out to the people now,” she said.

Blommer has appeared on Facebook talking about her career.

“If I can inspire someone to be a zookeeper, that’d be great,” Blommer said. “I don’t want to scare them away. I have to tell the children I don’t get to play with the animals and that I don’t go into the tiger enclosures. I tell them we have to pick up poop every day but it’s a great honor to work with the animals. Who else can say they get peed on by a tiger? Or drooled on by a giraffe?”

Those topics did not come up when taking classes at SDSU.

“While we didn’t study tigers, when you know enough about native animals like mountain lions, you can modify it, as the basics between mountain lions and tigers are the same. SDSU provided the basic groundwork needed to get a job and experience got me where I am,” said Blommer, who with her husband, Jesse ’04, have a daughter, Charlee, and a son, Avree. “I knew I wanted to be a zookeeper or a wildlife biologist in the field, so being able to cover both areas with SDSU’s program was perfect for me.”

– Matt Schmidt