From childhood visits to career dreams: Biology student finds her place at North Carolina Zoo

Long before Kyra Geiger began studying zoology at UNC Pembroke, she was visiting the North Carolina Zoo with her family, fascinated by the animals and dreaming of one day working alongside them.

Today, the senior biology major is getting close to that dream at the very place that inspired it. As a volunteer at the zoo’s giraffe deck, Geiger helps visitors interact with the animals while gaining a deeper understanding of their care, behavior and conservation.

“I grew up in Florida, but I had family in North Carolina. So when we visited, I would come to the zoo. That was my favorite thing to do,” Geiger said. “When I moved here in 2024, I decided I wanted to work here.”

Each Saturday, Geiger spends several hours helping visitors feed the giraffes while keeping the animals calm and engaged. Over time, she has become familiar with their individual personalities and behaviors, including her favorite, Jack, the dominant male of the group.

“I love getting to see the giraffes and making the connections,” Geiger said. “I know all the giraffes by name.”

The experience has also deepened her understanding of animal care beyond the classroom. Observing the giraffes and the work required to care for the animals has reinforced lessons about ecology, animal behavior, and the importance of maintaining healthy habits.

“I’ve learned that ecology and habitat upkeep are very important for these animals,” Geiger said. “It is important that everything is catered to them.”

She has also discovered that working at a zoo involves connecting with people as much as animals. By answering visitors’ questions and helping them interact with the giraffes, Geiger has grown more comfortable communicating with others and found joy in meeting people who share her passion.

“It has taught me that I love people who love animals,” Geiger said. “I think I’ve always known that in my heart, but to see that in real time ... It makes me so happy to know that a love for animals will never go away.”

At UNCP, Geiger has found opportunities to deepen her understanding of the animals she hopes to work with professionally. She credits Dr. Eric Mosser, a lecturer in UNCP Biology and faculty adviser for the Zoology Club, with helping her connect concepts in taxonomy, evolution and ecology to what she observes at the zoo.

“One of the best classes that set the bar for me for working and volunteering here was zoology,” Geiger said.

Mosser remembers Geiger as an enthusiastic student whose interest in animals was evident in the classroom.

“She was clearly excited about the material and about animals. I was really excited to hear that she has been volunteering at the zoo,” Mosser said.

For students pursuing careers in animal care, he said, opportunities like Geiger’s can provide valuable insight into the profession while strengthening their qualifications for future positions.

“People take zoology for different reasons, for different careers. But if they are planning to go into veterinary medicine or zookeeping, it is a huge deal,” he said.

The experience has helped Geiger see a clearer path toward her goal of becoming a zookeeper. She hopes to pursue internships that will provide additional animal-care experience, with long-term aspirations of working at the North Carolina Zoo or Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida. She is on track to graduate in May 2027.

Just as importantly, volunteering has changed how she sees the animals she once admired only as a visitor. Through regular observation, she has learned to recognize their behaviors, movements and individual characteristics.

“I know a lot of these animals. I know their behaviors, I know how they move, how they think,” she said. “That’s one of the best things about being a volunteer; you get to learn about the animals and how they are as beings.”

For Geiger, the opportunity to apply what she has learned at UNCP while exploring her career interests has turned a childhood dream into a tangible goal. What began as family visits to the zoo has grown into a deeper appreciation for the work of animal care and conservation — and a future she is eager to pursue.

“I never initially intended to be a part of a zoo as closely as I am right now, but over time, from working here, I’ve realized that this is something so much bigger than I am, and I am so excited to be a part of it.”