Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Affiliations
Timeline
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JASON LIPSCOMB

Laurel

Summary

Reliable and punctual Animal Care team member with proven skills cleaning animal areas, coordinating inventory and managing animal needs with care and compassion. Highly organized and hardworking with good communication and multitasking abilities. I have worked with a diverse range of taxa ranging from crocodilians, komodo dragons, penguins, elephants, giraffes, venomous snakes and lizards, small mammals, birds of prey and more.

Overview

3
3
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Mary Wilson Scholar

Maryland Zoo
06.2025 - 07.2025
  • Spent 8 weeks as a paid intern at the Maryland Zoo
  • Assisted with the husbandry of large mammals, reptiles and birds including African Penguins, African Elephants, Giraffe, Gazelle, Warthog, Farm animals, Otter, Bobcat, Lions, Okapi, Sitatuanga and more
  • Assisted in the care of Panamanian Golden Frogs with water changes and tank cleans
  • Learned how to recognize different behaviors using the Maryland Zoo ethogram
  • Learned training techniques used for large mammals
  • Performed maintenance around the zoo including trash pick up
  • Learned how to make AZA approved diets at the zoo's commissary department


Animal Ambassador Intern

Virginia Zoo
01.2025 - 04.2025
  • Performed husbandry task for numerous species including, but not limited to: Three-Toed Sloths, Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine, Green and Red Macaws, Birds of Prey, Small Reptiles and Amphibians, Small Mammals and more
  • Created enrichment for small mammals, ectotherms, birds of prey, macaws, parrots, toucans, kookaburra and tawny frogmouth
  • Hosted birthday parties at the zoo using animals in collection
  • Responsible for keeping records on the different husbandry task performed
  • Performed exhibit maintenance such as new perches for birds, light fixture changes, new exhibit construction and more
  • Learned how to operate zoo owned vehicles
  • Learned how to operate power tools such as drills and saws
  • Facilitated keeper talks using live animals around zoo
  • Trained small mammals, birds of prey and reptiles using pre-existing behaviors

Animal Science Summer Intern

Zoo Miami
05.2024 - 08.2024
  • Performed husbandry task for numerous ectotherms including, but not limited to: Komodo Dragons, Orinoco, American and African-Slender-Snouted Crocodiles, Tomistoma, Amazon Milk Frogs, Rio Fuentes Beaded Lizards, Green Anaconda and Black Caiman
  • Was in charge of husbandry task for Puerto Rican Crested Toads, which are in a species survival plan, and also helped with the shipment of 80 tadpoles to Puerto Rico
  • Performed husbandry task for Texas Horned Lizards
  • Helped care for Orinoco Crocodiles, which are in a species survival plan, which included exhibit maintenance, training session observations, and feedings
  • Observed and participated in Komodo Dragon feeding, training, and exhibit maintenance
  • Responsible for the maintenance of the “Cloud Team’s” bug room which included cricket barrel cleaning, mealworm substrate changes, cricket, mealworm, and super worm feedings
  • Responsible for changing the newspaper in various snake exhibits
  • Assisted zoo veterinarian with prep stabilization before medical procedures on various reptiles in the collection
  • Observed numerous target training sessions with multiple reptile species in the collection
  • Created enrichment for Orinoco Crocodiles and Komodo Dragons
  • Helped perform husbandry tasks for Tree Kangaroos, Koalas, Wombats, Cassowary, Dingoes, Warthogs, and Babirusa
  • Helped perform husbandry tasks for Chimpanzees, Gorillas, Orangutans, Gibbons, and Lemurs
  • Hosted keeper talks for the Orinoco Crocodiles and Komodo Dragons that were supervised by fellow keepers
  • Learned how to use Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS)

Animal Care Summer Intern

Gator Country
05.2022 - 08.2023
  • Responsible for the daily care of a wide variety of species including, but not limited to: American Alligators, Siamese and Morelet’s Crocodiles, Monitor Lizards, Bearded Dragons, Venomous snakes and lizards, small mammals and turtles
  • Responsible for exhibit maintenance of all animals in the collection
  • Served as the host for animal shows by public speaking and descriptively educating the public on the animals in the collection through daily shows for special occasions such as birthday parties, camp groups, churches, corporate teams, family reunions, and other group-oriented requests that took place at the venue as well as off-site
  • Served as a tour guide and boat captain for the swamp tours in the Texas bayou
  • Performed husbandry duties for hatchlings, kits, and chicks
  • Worked in the gift shop on site with selling of retail items
  • Hands-on experience in handling large crocodilians, lizards, venomous and non-venomous snakes
  • Responded to nuisance calls and assisted with the safe capture of alligators
  • Responsible for landscaping such as mowing and cleaning numerous alligator, caiman, and crocodile ponds and wade pools
  • Internship was May 2022-August 2022 and then June 2023-August 2023
  • Kept animals clean and free of contaminants to promote optimal health.
  • Monitored animal health to quickly recognize signs of illness and injury, seeking necessary medical attention.
  • Prepared special diets for animals to accommodate specific health conditions and species-specific needs.

Education

Bachelor of Science - Liberal Studies

Frostburg State University
Frostburg, MD
05-2026

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Bowie High School – Honors Program
Bowie, MD
06.2021

Skills

  • Networking
  • Behavior observation
  • Data collection
  • Positive reinforcement
  • Animal handling
  • Animal nutrition
  • Kennel disinfection
  • Team collaboration
  • Habitat maintenance
  • Animal training

Certification

  • Maryland Driver’s License
  • Texas Boating License

Affiliations

  • The World Wildlife Federation Fund 2024 – Present
  • The Nature Conservancy Maryland/DC Chapter 2024 – Present
  • Zoological Association of America 2024– Present
  • Frostburg State University Fishing Club 2023 – Present
  • Frostburg State University Geography Club 2023 – Present
  • Frostburg State University Wildlife Society 2021- Present

Timeline

Mary Wilson Scholar

Maryland Zoo
06.2025 - 07.2025

Animal Ambassador Intern

Virginia Zoo
01.2025 - 04.2025

Animal Science Summer Intern

Zoo Miami
05.2024 - 08.2024

Animal Care Summer Intern

Gator Country
05.2022 - 08.2023

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Bowie High School – Honors Program

Bachelor of Science - Liberal Studies

Frostburg State University