RON MAGILL'S BACKGROUND
"What got me hooked on this business was as a small child watching shows like Wild Kingdom or National Geographic. My hero as a boy was Jim Fowler, the host of Wild Kingdom. Within the last five years, I have been fortunate enough to not only meet him, but he's been at my house and we've worked on international projects together. For me I still feel like I am a lucky little boy who has had his dreams answered.
"I was a zoology major at the University of Florida. I had received an associate's degree and was working toward a bachelor's. I had heard that a big new zoo was being built in Miami, so I had put in my application. I wanted to be involved from the ground floor. In my senior year I received a phone call that there was a zookeeper opening at Metrozoo. I left college to take the job. In college I had also worked at the Florida State Museum in the herpetology section (reptiles and amphibians), and I had done a lot of research work in Mexico through National Science Foundation grants. I also took a job during my college breaks working at the Miami Serpentarium with Bill Haast. He is one of the top people in the field. I learned a lot about management and handling of these reptiles from him, and so I had a lot of experience to offer.
"You learn that if you want to work with wildlife, you have to take the opportunity when it knocks. I remember when I left college my parents were somewhat disappointed that I wasn't finishing my degree, but I understood then that this was a good job, and if you had a chance to get it, to get in the door, you had to take it. In hindsight I made the right decision. I was able to elevate myself through the ranks, and now I believe I have the best job in the world.
"I started here in 1980 as a zookeeper and went up the ranks to lead zookeeper, senior zookeeper, and then assistant curator in charge of first shows and public demonstrations, then quarantine, and finally the reptile department.
"As a curator I was responsible for managing certain elements of the collection. I managed the reptile collection, setting up breeding situations and pairing the animals. I designed exhibits and helped to decide the diets with the veterinarians. I supervised the zookeepers who managed the direct day-to-day care of the animals, and I communicated a great deal with other curatorial staff and with other zoos around the country."
RON MAGILL'S JOB DESCRIPTION
"Now I am the zoo spokesperson. I do a lot of the television programs, a lot of the public appearances and speaking engagements. I act as a liaison with the media and also write press releases. My job is similar to what Jack Hannah does at the Columbus Zoo and Joan Embery did at the San Diego Zoo.
"Of all the positions I have held at Metrozoo, this is the best one. Each one has pluses, though. In this job I don't have as much exposure in the field that I used to have, but the beauty is that I still get a lot of hands-on contact because when I do these programs I get to handle the animals.
"What I enjoy the most is the contact with the public, especially with children. The kids are my greatest inspiration, and they have a real love for animals. Not to sound too much like a cliché but children really are our future, and if we can show this generation how important our wildlife is then we are doing a great job.
"My job is different every day. I've been here seventeen-plus years and I am still amazed at how it can still be so exciting. I don't have to wear a suit and a tie and sit behind a desk or go into any kind of methodical assembly line type of work. I have been able to travel around the world and to see things that as a small boy I only dreamed of.
"When I first went to Africa, for example, on a familiarization trip so I could lead tours and promote the area, I looked out over the Serengeti and saw nothing but wildlife and nature. It was mind-boggling. I got tears in my eyes. This job has provided me with such incredible privileges.
"I do programs and slide presentations, and because I've been there I can relay the excitement I have about the place. I've also been to the Galapagos Islands, and now I am working on a project in Panama to save the harpy eagle. It is the national bird of Panama and highly endangered now. When I first started, very few people in Panama even knew what a harpy eagle was. I set up a program that is analogous to what we did in the United States with the bald eagle in the seventies and it has been so successful. I've received letters from President Clinton, the president of Panama, and the mayor of Panama. It has turned into a real campaign, not just to save the harpy eagle but to save the tropical rain forests in Panama.
"There are always downsides, of course. Here it is that you are always facing budget crises. You are always trying to get more for less, and it can be very frustrating. Today the discretionary dollar is very difficult to obtain and zoos struggle. If you don't get the attendance you need to bring in the dollar, some of the projects you're working on and some of the goals you have set might suffer. You always try to build new exhibits and improve exhibits and provide better visitor amenities and to bring new state-of-the-art programs and projects to the zoo. We love to be more involved with research with other countries.
"If I didn't have to pay bills, I wouldn't even want to take money for my job. For me it is such a privilege."
A WORD OF ADVICE
"If you get a job offer, take it. When I interview people here for jobs at the zoo, I put a great deal more weight on actual experience with exotic animals than on education. It is preferable, of course, to have both, but if it's one or the other, and someone has already proven himself or herself in the field with these exotic animals, I tend to think that's more important. I've seen many students come out of school with a straight A average, model students in every way, but they have a difficult time applying that knowledge to the field.
"You should try to get experience at some of the smaller attractions. Here in Florida we have a lot of wildlife rehabilitation facilities, places like Monkey Jungle and Parrot Jungle. There they don't require a great deal of experience because the pay is not substantial. They can say, "We won't pay you much but we will give you a chance to get that experience." And I try to tell people, listen when you're young, money is not as important as you think it is. Get the experience. That experience will pay off as you get older and develop your career."
