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Name:
Coffy Bennis |
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Title:
Zookeeper |
Park:
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay |
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Hometown:
Buffalo, Minnesota |
Time with Busch Gardens:
4 years |
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Background:
I received my bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of South Florida in Tampa. I was first introduced to the study of primates in an introductory anthropology class. Everything about primates interested me - their behavior, their evolution and conservation programs intended to preserve them. I've been hooked on primates ever since. I started by conducting a five-month research project at Lowry Park Zoo, became a volunteer and finally took on a part-time position there. My passion for primates then led me to East Africa for several months, and now to Myombe Reserve: the last Great Ape Domain.
Recent adventures: In 1999 my love for primates had become so strong that I decided to sell all I owned and head off to East Africa to see as many chimpanzee sanctuaries as possible. I spent seven months traveling in Africa, visiting several chimpanzee sanctuaries as well as the renowned Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, where Jane Goodall conducted her research. I was also fortunate enough to spend three months working at Jane Goodall's Ugandan facility, the Ngambe Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, rehabilitating infant chimps confiscated from the illegal trade in exotic pets. This work at the sanctuary really touched me. All of the young chimps I worked with had been severely traumatized by poachers, so I had to work very hard to re-establish their trust. I also spent two months in Nanyuki, Kenya working on chimpanzee introductions. Without question my Africa experience has been one of the highlights of my career so far, and I have been able to use the knowledge I gained while in Africa here at Busch Gardens.
Favorite part of the job: One quality primates possess that intrigues me is their incredible intelligence. So I really enjoy simply observing them. Each day I can count on seeing a behavior that will amaze, and still sometimes surprise me, even though I have been working with primates for eight years. I enjoy watching them interact with their environment, each other, and even their keepers.
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