01:13
Kimberly Leser Highlight
There’s a huge on-the-job training aspect that you can’t get in a book. You have to go out and start doing it, learning, and making mistakes.
About Kimberly
- When she was five years old, she got to interact with a dolphin at a zoo—this sparked her desire to dedicate her life to animals.
- She grew up with a very supportive family indulging her interest in animals whenever possible by taking her to zoos or buying her books to read.
- Says she became motivated by the questions: Why do animals do what they do? How do humans affect that? How do they affect us?
- Attended Emporia State University, where she majored in communications, since, at the time, there was no straight path to working in animal behavior.
- Worked as an animal trainer for over 10 years.
- Got an opportunity to work as an animal behavioral associate for Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida.
- She now works as the Curator of Animal Behavior & Welfare at the Oklahoma City Zoo where she strives to ensure that all 1,400 animals have a quality life there.
- She is passionate about conservation, inspiring people to care about preserving animal species, and ensuring that future generations are able to experience them.
