Most people have no idea of the hard work and worry that goes into the collecting of those
fascinating birds and animals that they pay to see in the zoo. One of the questions that is
always asked of me is how I became an animal collector in the first place. The answer is that
I have always been interested in animals and zoos. According to my parents, the first word I
was able to say with any clarify was not the conventional "mamma" or "daddy", but the word
"zoo", which I would repeat over and over again with a shrill voice until someone, in order
to shut me up, would take me to the zoo. When I grew a little older, we lived in Greeze, and
I had a great number of pets, ranging from owls to seahorses, and I spent all my spare time
exploring the countryside in search of fresh speciments to add my collection of pets. Later
on I went for a year to the City Zoo, as student aide, to get experience of the large
animals, such as lions, bears, bison and ostriches, which were not easy to keep at home.
When I left, I successfully had enough money of my own to be able to finance my first trip
and I have been going regularly ever since then. Though a collector's job is not an easy
one and is full of disappointments, it is certainly a job which will appeal to all those
who love animals and travel.
<for only typing practice>