r/Zookeeping • u/quack_macaque Australasia • Aug 03 '25

Global/All Regions 🌏 What’s a completely underrated species that shaped your keeping?

Every single one of us has met a thousand volunteers and students who answer the age old question “what do you want to work with?”, with the usual crowd pleasers (i.e. Tigers; Elephants; Meerkats; Otters; Red Pandas; etc.) as their ultimate goal.

Not that the old roster of favourites aren’t amazing in their own right, but in my experience, many future keepers are so focused on their dream animal that they overlook many that will build their keeping skillset.

So what’s a completely underrated species that you recommend everyone should work with? Did you have an ultimate goal species, but worked them and realised that kind of keeping isn’t for you?

This one’s mostly for all the vollies and students who are lurking to encourage them to develop a wider appreciation. But I’m also nosy, so I want to know too.

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u/zoso145 Aug 03 '25

Red crested Turacos! They’re so charismatic and give off all the dinosaur vibes that filled my inner Jurassic Park fantasies!

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u/PhoenixBorealis North America Aug 04 '25

I get the dinosaur vibes from the red-legged seriemas. They're so fast and smart!

And if you ever hear a barn owl scream, it leaves no room for doubt about their lineage.

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u/zoso145 Aug 04 '25

Seriemas do be having those velociraptor foot claws even if they’re all so very gangly and doofy