Two experiences at ����app cemented Rachel Van Elderen Malstaff’s ’02 decision to become a zoologist. The first was a month- long trip to Guatemala, Belize, and Costa Rica. “In the rainforest, we studied howler monkeys and capuchins. We were looking at bird species and went birding at 6 in the morning—that experience really opened my eyes to a wide variety of wildlife,” Malstaff says.

The second was a visit to Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, Michigan, where Malstaff and her classmates had the opportunity to interact with zoo staff and learn more about animal husbandry. “That definitely guided me toward my career.”

Malstaff serves as the director of mammals at the San Antonio Zoo in Texas. On a typical weekday, she communicates with managers of the two departments she leads, attends planning and construction meetings for a new gorilla habitat, or oversees a medical procedure for one of the zoo’s more than 1,300 resident mammals.

Science Meets Activism

Malstaff, who grew up in the small town of Martin, Michigan, loved animals from a young age, and witnessing guests interact with them, sometimes for the first time, continues to delight her. She also values how visitors carry what they learn at the zoo back to their local neighborhoods.

“A big part of our message at the zoo is to show visitors the small steps they can take in nature, even in their own neighborhoods, to preserve wild habitats and secure a future for wildlife. Sharing that kind of backyard community activism is at the heart of why zoos exist.”

Global Reach

She also explains how zoos around the globe collaborate to conserve natural habitats and grow populations of threatened and endangered species. “In some cases, zoos are the only reason a species may be thriving today,” Malstaff says. Breeding and protection programs Malstaff directs in San Antonio may support conservation efforts in other parts of the world, too, such as on continental Africa, where efforts to restore natural habitats pave the way for reintroducing endangered species to the wild.

Member zoos of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) work in close partnership on these kinds of projects. “There’s a lot more that goes on behind the scenes than what you might see when you visit an exhibit. There is a lot of science to it,” she shares.

Never the Same Day Twice

Zoologists like Malstaff wear many hats. “There’s the everyday feeding, watering, cleaning, and designing of enrichment activities that guests might see when they visit. But then there are other things like training our lions for voluntary blood draws or vaccine injections—you might not know that a little whipped cream goes a long way with a lion,” she smiles.

In the ever-changing environment of the zoo, Malstaff keeps her faith at the center of all she does. “It’s how you interact with people, treating them respectfully, and in how you make decisions that impact both people and animals.”

She is currently leading a project to bring gorillas back to the zoo. “One of the things that is interesting to me is how different the conversations around our breeding and transfer plan have been. Gorillas are highly intelligent mammals, so we’re not just discussing the genetics of pairing certain males and females, we’re also weighing their personalities. You know, which females will get along together, and which male would make a good silverback?”

Malstaff says serving in a management role focused on sustaining the well-being of living creatures makes her days hard to plan. “Anything can happen, and it’s a very fast- paced job,” she says. Yet, “all the moments— like conversations with kids or even adults as they interact with a certain animal for the first time or ask questions about conservation—it’s amazing. Hopefully, that inspires them to go out and do something bigger in the future.