San Diego
An elephant keeper at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, Jean Hromadka, has been named president of the American Assn. of Zookeepers, an organization representing 197 zoos, including several overseas.
The organization was founded by seven keepers at the San Diego Zoo in 1967.
Hromadka has been a keeper for 12 years, and for the past 2 1/2 years has been caring for nine Asian elephants at the Wild Animal Park.
The organization promotes the exchange of information on how to best care for animals. It also attempts to enhance the image of zookeepers as professional animal handlers and eliminate a traditional view of them as farm hands, Hromadka said.
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