Alicia Foley

I started out my career doing what I studied in school: marketing and communication. After an amazing temporary opportunity as the project and social media coordinator for my alma mater, Concordia University, I set out to make my mark in the marketing world. But I ended up taking a small detour...into zoo keeping. I completed a summer internship in one of the bird departments at the San Antonio Zoo in 2011 and got hired by the other bird dept immediately after. I worked as a relief keeper (filling in any area on other keepers' weekends) until I became an area keeper for waterfowl and all the zoo's flamingos. I was so passionate about these birds and everyday I learned something new about breeding, nesting, and eggs. I managed and cared for over 200 breeding birds, 33 different species, in about 20 exhibits. After my two year mark at the zoo, I decided to look around for something different. I found a job at an animal sanctuary called Primarily Primates, Inc. The name is very apt because while we care for mostly primates, we do have small exotic cats and birds. I have worked closely with every animal on grounds except for the great apes (gibbons and chimps, in this case) though I have interacted with all.