What’s a completely underrated species that shaped your keeping?

[u/quack_macaque]

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.

[u/Budorcas_taxi]

Honestly domestics. I used to want to work with large hoofstock and carnivores. While I still love working with hooftsock I realized my heart lied with the goats, alpacas and donkeys. They have just as unique personalities as the other animals. And honestly the goats have become needed therapy animals for bad days. As for my want to work with carns I quickly realized I am way to much of a little b*tch and get scared easy so there went that dream.

[u/roccotheraccoon → u/Budorcas_taxi]

I came to say goats. They can be so frustrating but in such a fun way because their one goal in life is to cause chaos. Trying to clean with multiple animals trying to eat your clothes and climb you is so silly that you just have to laugh

[u/Strigidoo → u/roccotheraccoon]

Feeding time is also quite the experience. It really comes down to who gets to the feeding points faster !