‘A people person who loves animals’




KITTY’S COCKTAIL—Mara Rodriguez feeds Karma, a tiger at America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College. MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

KITTY’S COCKTAIL—Mara Rodriguez feeds Karma, a tiger at America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College. MICHAEL COONS/Acorn Newspapers

It’s mostly empty at America’s Teaching Zoo on a recent morning, but as Mara Rodriguez walks along the dirt paths of the 5-acre facility at Moorpark College, she is far from alone.

She stops at each enclosure and takes time to watch the animals, speaking to them as if they were old friends—because many are.

Her eyes brighten and her smile widens as she lists the animals’ preferences and personalities. From the tigers to the coyotes, she loves them all.

Every animal has a story, and Rodriguez knows each one.

Rodriguez has dedicated the past 30 years to improving the lives of both the animals and people that make Moorpark College’s zoo so special.

“I always say that I am a people person who loves animals, not an animal person who tolerates people,” Rodriguez said. “Connecting with animals and people has been something that’s brought me the greatest joy in life.”

When Rodriguez, a Pasadena native, was 16 years old, someone brought an injured pigeon to her high school’s office. No one wanted to help the bird, so she brought it home, where she fed it formula every two hours before releasing it back into the wild two weeks later.

Little did she know that pigeon would lead her onto a career path that she’s still following.

“I wasn’t this self-proclaimed animal lover, but something clicked in me,” said Rodriguez, who had always been fascinated by biology. “That pigeon changed my life.”

After realizing that she enjoyed dedicating herself to caring for the bird, she began exploring a career in animal care.

She graduated from Moorpark College’s Exotic Animal and Training Management program in 1992. The two-year course— one of a handful of its kind in the nation—prepares students to enter the animal care industry. It teaches animal welfare and wildlife conservation.

That same year, she started the zoo’s Junior Safari Summer Camp. The camp has since expanded from six children to 40, and Rodriguez has seen some of her campers become her students and even her colleagues.

After serving as the camp’s first counselor, she became an instructional assistant and an instructional lab technician for the EATM program. She said her biggest lesson learned from working with animals is to enjoy the present.

“The animals teach me lessons every day, and I love the animals for keeping me honest,” she said.

The animal that touched her heart the most was a mountain lion named Spirit. She raised Spirit from the time he was 2 months old until he died four years ago at age 19. The trust they shared was unparalleled.

“He was one of those animals that you would consider the animal of a lifetime,” said Rodriguez, who specializes in training big cats. “He was the greatest teacher I have ever witnessed— human or animal.”

Over the past 30 years, the 50-year-old has learned there is no animal care without people.

“There’s something special about people who want to care for animals,” she said. “Their hearts are big, and their passion is fiery, and I think it’s a really unique thing.”

Just over a year ago, the San Fernando Valley resident became the Moorpark zoo’s development coordinator, a position that allows her to direct the growth of the facility.

Although she misses working directly with the animals, she said it has been an honor to see students fulfill their dreams.

“I love animals, and I’ve had an amazing career, but now my focus has really shifted to being happy for the students,” Rodriguez said. “Now it’s their turn to go out and do all the things that I’ve been blessed to do.”

Rodriguez hopes to ensure that the zoo exists for future students, campers, and visitors and that the animals have the best possible housing. Her main goal is to expand the hillside to include more room for large cats and an educational amphitheater.

To buy tickets for the zoo’s Concert for the Cats fundraiser on Sept. 10 featuring Five for Fighting singer John Ondrasik, go to tinyurl.com/cats910

“The reason that I have had so much success and been blessed is because I’ve looked for opportunities to give back,” she said. “My goal is strictly to put this place on the map, where it deserves to be.”

Ultimately, Rodriguez said she wants to make the most of her life by doing something she enjoys, even if that means pursuing an unconventional career.

“My why is, ‘Why not?’” she said. “I’ve created new bonds with animals. I’ve created new bonds with students, and I’ve never lost that fire that I had when I started this job.”