|
 |
Elephant Experts |
3 |
 |
Elephant Program |
Elephant Herd |
Elephant Exhibit |
Elephant Care
Elephant Science |
Elephant Experts |
Rose-Tu
Elephant Babies |
Asian Elephants |
National Elephant Center
Gilbert Gomez, Assistant Zoological Curator
Gilbert Gomez started his career at the San Antonio Zoo in 1982, where he worked with a variety of animals, including elephants. In 1999, Gomez joined the Oregon Zoo as an elephant keeper, specializing in elephant foot-care research. Named assistant zoological curator in 2001, Gomez now supervises the zoo’s Africa and Primates exhibits, but continues his work with elephants as well. He is a member of the Elephant Management Committee and has influenced many of the nation’s elephant programs.
David Shepherdson, Deputy Conservation Manager and Conservation Scientist
Dr. David Shepherdson, a widely published expert on animal behavior, audits environmental enrichment programs for all the Oregon Zoo animals, including elephants. He co-chairs the AZA’s Behavior and Husbandry Advisory Group, which helps zoos across North America implement enrichment programs. Shepherdson co-authored the definitive text on the subject, Second Nature: Environmental Enrichment for Zoo Animals, used by zoos worldwide. The book resulted from the first international conference on zoo enrichment, held in Portland in 1993 and co-chaired by Shepherdson.
At the Oregon Zoo, Shepherdson also oversees ongoing research and conservation projects performed by zoo staff and visiting scientists, and he coordinates involvement with national studies for which the zoo provides sample materials, such as feces and saliva, from its animals. Shepherdson has an extensive research background and has been published in such fields as environmental enrichment, zoo conservation and science education. He is currently an associate editor for the journal Zoo Biology. Shepherdson is an adjunct faculty member at Portland State University and regularly lectures at other universities.
|
