Added twists to #ZookeepersAsAnimals at Sedgwick County Zoo

By Annie Calovich

Updated July 22, 2016 9:32 AM

The zookeepers at the Sedgwick County Zoo are at it again – posing as their charges and posting the photos on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and – new this year — Pinterest.

This is the second year that the zookeepers, as part of National Zookeeper Week, have posted photos of animals alongside photos of themselves striking the same poses. But this year they’re taking it up a notch.

“We will be debuting a video later this week. That’s a new element,” zoo spokeswoman Melissa Graham said Wednesday. “They’re pretty excited about it, taking it to the next level.”

You can follow the goofiness through Saturday on the zoo’s Facebook page, Twitter account (@SedgwickCoZoo), Instagram account (@SedgwickCountyZoo) and on Pinterest (Sedgwick County Zoo). The hashtag is #ZookeepersAsAnimals.

Here is a sample of some of their posts:

We keep looking out the window, thinking it's a nice day...then we remember it's July. It's hot! Kudos to our staff for dealing with every type of weather condition! They are troopers! #ZookeepersAsAnimals
A photo posted by Sedgwick County Zoo (@sedgwickcountyzoo) on Jul 20, 2016 at 11:20am PDT

There are also those at the Zoo who act as educators, greeters, organizers, custodians, memory makers, welders, designers, builders, chefs, security, first aid, horticulturist, mentors, and so much more! They’re creative, caring, dedicated and passionate, too! They are Zoo Staff members! Happy National Zookeeper Week to all of you as well! #ZookeepersAsAnimals
A photo posted by Sedgwick County Zoo (@sedgwickcountyzoo) on Jul 17, 2016 at 11:33am PDT

Our staff can get very creative with their enrichment plans! From putting tasty treats in unusual places to different types of "toys", the keepers look for ways to encourage typical behaviors and give options to the resident at the Zoo. #ZookeepersAsAnimals
A photo posted by Sedgwick County Zoo (@sedgwickcountyzoo) on Jul 18, 2016 at 12:14pm PDT

Annie Calovich: 316-268-6596, @anniecalovich

This story was originally published July 20, 2016 at 1:56 PM with the headline "Added twists to #ZookeepersAsAnimals at Sedgwick County Zoo."

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