NORFOLK -- I was looking for some dirty jobs and decided the zookeepers at the Virginia Zoo can have it pretty darn dirty. Especially the ones who have to clean up the elephant poop! And elephants poop a lot.
"They do. Elephants only digest about 35 percent of what they eat, so they're not very efficient digesters. So, they go to the bathroom a lot. About every hour or two they will leave a big pile for us," said lead zookeeper in Africa Jennifer Long.
Just nature running its course I guess. I dove right in. Well, not literally of course, but with big shovel in hand I began. One scoop at a time.
I learned that Long has four other helpers in the African section and they train new employees or interns to scoop poop.
"You have to sort of, well, it's a learned skill. But it's not like you come in on your first day and do it, but you gradually train," she said. "Hey, Joe Flanagan, you are actually pretty good at this."
The two elephants are in their 40s. Elephants can live well into their 70s.
I told Long I was totally breathing through my nose.
"I actually don't even smell it right now. As scary as that is, I don't even smell it," said Long.
So hats off to the zookeepers. They do a dirty job with a clean-cut purpose.
