Zoologist

Zoologists are biologists who study animals. They learn about those animals and their ecosystems by observing them under natural conditions and also by studying them in laboratories. Zoologist John Hoogland studies wild prairie dogs in the grasslands of western North America. Says Behavioral Ecologist Hoogland, the work of zoologists “contributes to our understanding of why animals do what they do.” His work with prairie dogs “has implications for other social animals, including humans.”  Zookeeper Anne Knapp studies and helps protect the health of hundreds of animals at Zoo New England. She also observes their behavior and helps improve and maintain their diets and the enclosures where they live.