Rick Schwartz ZooKeeper

Rick Schwartz Works both as a Zookeeper & Ambassador for the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Working with animals for nearly 20 years, with over 10 of those years at the San Diego Zoo, he is well known for stopping whatever he is doing to talk to anyone and everyone AbOUT the animals under his care. Having made many media appearances with animals throughout San Diego he is now being seen on a more national media level as his role as Ambassador grows.

Life & Career

Rick's expression of "Always explore - Always learn more!" is not just an attempt at getting people excited about the natural world around them, it seems to be what he is always doing.

There was no looking back for Schwartz after having been fortunate enough to have gained his first zoo keeping experience as a volunteer at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. He was assigned to work with the zookeepers at the primate house and also worked at the gorilla & orangutan enclosures. After college he spent the next 8 years gaining more knowledge and experience working with animals in a variety of settings.

In November 2000 Schwartz was hired on as a part-time keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Within 6 months he found himself in a full-time position and he was able to move into Senior Keeper status in a few years. Near the end of 2008 the San Diego Zoo was looking to have a full-time Ambassador to represent the soon to open Elephant Odyssey - The largest new exhibit area to open in the history of the San Diego Zoo. After several InterViews Schwartz was selected in late December 2008 and started as Ambassador in January 2009. The position of Elephant Odyssey Ambassador took Schwartz across the country twice, including New York City for a media tour. And in the Spring of 2009 he traveled to Botswana to spend some time with the San Diego Zoo's conservation partner, Elephants Without Borders. Schwartz continued in the position as Elephant Odyssey Ambassador through the summer of 2009 at which time he stepped back into his zookeeper position. In the spring of 2010 the San Diego Zoo asked Schwartz to continue in the Ambassador position, but on a larger scale; that position now being the national spokesperson for both the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Although Schwartz is kept busy in his Ambassador position, he can still be seen around the Zoo working in his zookeeper position too. As Rick put it, "I do what I do because I love these guys" in reference to the animals under his care.