A significant part of caring for the animals at BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo involves keeping their yards clean and barns well-stocked. Volunteer Mark Antoine has earned his stripes, handling these vital tasks for the zebras and other animals under the care of the large hoof stock keeper for nearly six years.

After retiring in 2018, Antoine was on the hunt for an activity to get him outdoors and active in the city. Having grown up on a small farm in Mississippi where he raised cows, horses, pigs and even goats, caring for animals seemed like a perfect fit.

Since then, he’s been at the zoo every Monday morning and for special events.

“Cleaning the yards is a large part of the job, but I also try to make sure the barn is kept clean and orderly,” he says of his role working with the large hoof stock keeper. “We take care of the zebras, Nayla and Sable. At one time, we also had the Red River hogs and bongos.”

Over the years, he has also assisted with caring for the petting zoo animals, white-tailed deer and giraffe.

Antoine regularly volunteers during special events at the zoo, including the annual Zippity Zoo Fest and Boo at the Zoo. During these celebrations, Antoine shares Bio-Facts provided by the Zoo Education Department to help guests better understand the animals. Bio-Facts include animal structures like furs, skulls or bones, horns and antlers, turtle shells and more to provide a visual representation of the information.

When he’s not caring for the animals or sharing information with visitors, Antoine enjoys strolling the zoo to visit the otters, giraffes and tigers.

“The ability to see these animals relatively up close and to learn more about them and their habitats is such a great opportunity,” he says. “Also, the zoo offers a fun place to walk around in a safe environment.”

To learn more about volunteering with BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo, visit brzoo.org/support/volunteering.