Overview
Work History
Education
Education
Timeline
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CHANDLER NELSON

Overview

5
5
years of professional experience

Work History

Intern (Paid)

Mary Wilson Scholar - Maryland Zoo
Baltimore, MD
06.2024 - 08.2024
  • Observed primate training sessions (with positive reinforcement) to assist with medical, daily, and behavioral tasks.
  • Observed and assisted with animal diet preparation, including those with medication.
  • Assisted with daily husbandry tasks, on and off exhibit.
  • Assisted with guest encounters such as Giraffe Feeding Station, Penguin Encounters, and Goat Corral.
  • Observed different enrichment techniques based on animal size, temperament, and safety.
  • Observed contact free care with species such as bears, rhinoceros, zebras, and more.
  • Observed elephant shifting system, both on and off exhibit.
  • Sat in on keeper meetings about daily animal care and management updates.

Volunteer

Iberian Wolf Recovery Centre
Mafra, Portugal
06.2023 - 06.2023
  • Gained experience working with a "no contact" species.
  • Collected, cleaned, and prepared different kinds of meat for daily feedings.
  • Learned how to distinguish behavioral changes in wolves from afar.
  • Conducted daily stakeouts to observe and log behavior, feedings, and temperament.
  • Learned how to look for signs of dominance in a pack, and signs of malnourishment, injury, or anxiety.

Volunteer

Ostional Wildlife Refuge
Ostional, Costa Rica
07.2021 - 07.2021
  • Observed Olive Ridley's, Lepidochelys olivacea, during nesting season.
  • Tracked turtles nesting locations each night using red light lamps and following their sand prints.
  • Observed then learned how to tag and document turtles based on name, size of shell, and number of eggs laid.
  • Counted number of eggs laid daily, and how many were often no longer viable by the morning.
  • Spoke with local scientists about alternative research methods to improve nesting conditions.
  • Learned how to measure turtles shell and flipper, along with size of nest (after digging).

Volunteer

Costa Rica Animal Rescue Center
Alajuela, Costa Rica
06.2021 - 07.2021
  • Gained experience working with animals in rehabilitation or animals that were falsely domesticated.
  • Worked with species such as: sloths, coatis, kinkajous, and monkeys such as capuchins and marmosets.
  • Sat in on weekly meetings about animal wellbeing and care based improvements.
  • Observed and assisted in feeding newborn raccoons.
  • Helped create enrichment ideas for the day or week, depending on the animal and their needs.

Intern

Busch Gardens Zookeeping Camp
Tampa, Florida
06.2019 - 06.2019
  • Learned about zoological husbandry standards and how to uphold them.
  • Observed diet preparation based on species, sometimes based on animal if medication was needed.
  • Shadowed Keepers from 5am to 3pm to get a sense of their daily schedule.
  • Helped manage kangaroo exhbit, including diet, cleaning, and logging behavior.
  • Shadowed Keepers during daily morning meetings.

Education

Bachelor of Science - Liberal Studies With A Focus in Zoology

Frostburg State University
Frostburg, MD
05-2025

Education

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Timeline

Intern (Paid)

Mary Wilson Scholar - Maryland Zoo
06.2024 - 08.2024

Volunteer

Iberian Wolf Recovery Centre
06.2023 - 06.2023

Volunteer

Ostional Wildlife Refuge
07.2021 - 07.2021

Volunteer

Costa Rica Animal Rescue Center
06.2021 - 07.2021

Intern

Busch Gardens Zookeeping Camp
06.2019 - 06.2019

Bachelor of Science - Liberal Studies With A Focus in Zoology

Frostburg State University

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CHANDLER NELSON