Inta Lange (25)
Profession: Curator of animal feeding in Rigas National Zoo.
Education: Bachelor degree in rehabilitation faculty of Stradins university of Riga , studies in faculty of biology in Latvian University

How did I start my carrier at Rigas Zoo? When I was 8-th grade student I started to attend club of young naturalists. This club raised interest in me about animals. Then I started to help animal tenders in weekends. All my years in High School and also in University I had half time job as animal tender but in summers I was working in the same place as full time employee. Work was hard and low paid and mostly it was based on my enthusiasm but I like the work with animals that was the reason I did not quit this job.

Last year there was announced an essay competition for animal tenders and I also applied with my essay. The topic of essay was “The life of elks and does in captivity”. I did not get the main prize – ticket to the first congress of animal tenders– but administration got interested in my report because in Zoo there had been a big problem with animal mortality already for a long time and the cause of this problem could be found in animal feeding. The administration of Rigas National Zoo considered my education and experience appropriate for this job and I got hired as curator of animal feeding.

My everyday duties are to make right meal proportions for each animal, to gather new information about this issue, to enrich their lives’ quality in the Zoo and to make contacts with experts from other Zoos.
My current studies I have chosen exactly because of my job. I understood that for improving the quality of my work I have to get a specific education.