O’Keefe, Maureen - Staff Biologist, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Washington , USA Maureen O’Keefe received her Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology from the University California, Davis. Maureen has worked in the zoo industry for over twenty-three years creating and presenting animal programs. Her career has taken her from northern California to Queensland , Australia to Tacoma , Washington where she currently works as a Staff Biologist at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater. Here she cares for, trains and handles a diverse group of birds, mammals, and reptiles for educational presentations, both on and off site. Maureen is currently Point Defiance AAZK Chapter President and also serves as Vice President to the Clouded Leopard Project, a non-profit organization that raises awareness about this highly endangered cat through education initiatives as well as funds in-situ research projects.
Goldfarb, Andy - Staff Biologist, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Washington , USA Andy Goldfarb graduated from the University California at Davis with a Bachelors of Science degree in Animal Science. Over his 24 year career his focus has been raising, handling, and training tigers and other wild cats. Andy began his career working with tigers at a wildlife park in northern California where he progressed to the position of Tiger Island Supervisor. He then went on to spend the next five years as the Assistant Manager of Tiger Island in Australia . Andy is presently a Staff Biologist at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Washington State where he works with Sumatran tigers, Asian elephants, Malayan tapirs and other Southeast Asian species. He also currently serves as a relief project leader for the Smithsonian National Zoological Park ’s Clouded Leopard Consortium in Thailand . He spends between two and three months each year overseeing the clouded leopard breeding program, hand rearing neonate cubs, coordinating acquisition and disposition of cats, and managing a team of Thai keepers.
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