Michael Salinas

Mentor and lead staff in practicing appropriate skills in animal welfare, record keeping, risk mitigation, and communication

Coordinate daily and weekly agendas in conjunction with animal care supervisors

Make proficient efforts to maximize guest experience through animal visibility and guest interaction

Modification of animal habitat design as it relates to animals' natural histories and wellbeing

Implementation of training and enrichment plans for Bald Eagles, Polar Bears, Otters, and California Sea Lions

Implementation of Standard Operating Procedures of Hogle Zoo as it relates to animal and human safety

Coach and support team members in decision making, problem solving, and conflict resolution processes through mediation and check-ins

Communication with veterinarians in both urgent and non-urgent animal matters regarding animal health issues, diet changes, and social changes.

• Employ leadership roles in the area overseeing a large number of colleagues
• Prepared and executed the transport over 100 penguins to a permanent habitat within the facility including, habitat preparation, re-banding, weighing, and welfare assessments of the birds
• Mentor colleagues from diverse backgrounds worldwide, focusing on their development and proficiencies in the field through immediate and long-term goals

• Hand-rearing of King, Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Southern Rockhopper Penguins, as well as Atlantic and Tufted Puffins from hatch day to fledging
• Planned and began the Alcid Interaction Program of the park
• Calibrating and setting up three different types of incubators to meet parameters for penguin and Alcid eggs
• Administration of nail trims, beak trims, and injectable medications to Penguins and Alcids
• Maintenance of husbandry and show behaviors of California Sea Lions and Asian Otters
• Presentation of animal information to guests and students through animal talks, animal interactions, paid tours, and educational programs on the Animal Ambassador Team with animals including lemurs, birds of prey, African Crested Porcupine, Virginia Opossum, Wallaby, and Roseate Spoonbill
• Represented company on both national and local media as spokesperson
• Trained ambassador birds for flight presentations for both small and large groups
• Created a presented a detailed PowerPoint on hand-rearing of penguin chicks for the Zoological Department of SeaWorld San Antonio
• Typed up detailed Standard Operating Procedures in matters regarding habitat lighting and building maintenance
• Served as department safety representative
• Mentored 8 part-time employees and 2 full-time employees during my time as senior zoological specialist
• Primary handler/ trainer for the Southern Bald Eagle for all training and husbandry related matters
• Collaborated with a team of 4 for free-loft training for the Bald Eagle
• Efficient in the transportation processes of bird eggs and live animals via both air and ground
• Helped in preparing the plan for penguin and puffin transport to Sea World Abu Dhabi from SeaWorld San Antonio

• Primary animal caretaker for over 60 primates, mostly chimpanzees previously from labs or former pet owners
• Provided a proposal for the rearrangement of animals in habitats as to avoid aggression and increase cleaning efficiency and safety of caretakers
• Featured in a social media article highlight
• Devised plan for safe medicating and shift training of monkeys and apes
• Appointed the responsibility of caring for a large collection of chimpanzees after three months of employment

• Conducted primary animal care for a small collection of animals used by the education department including frogs, snakes, tortoises, fish, and prairie dogs

• Collaborated with a team of three in the completion of targeting behavior with Squirrel Monkeys and Nile Hippos
• Participation in the San Antonio Zoo Educational Hippo Show as both trainer and speaker
• Conducted Bug Toss (bird enrichment) Keeper Connection for guests in large walk-through aviary
• Successful in breeding of European and Bruce’s Green Pigeon in large walk-through aviary that had not historically bred
• Shift-trained male Andean Condor from holding enclosure into exhibit and vice versa
• Featured Keeper of the San Antonio Zoo during National Zookeeper week 2013
• Primary bird keeper in a very large aviary comprised of a large collection of African birds representing over 20 spp