atural is a word which occurs frequently in Robin Marirea?s vocabulary: ?natural? environment, ?natural? exhibitions, ?natural looks?, and ?natural behaviour?.

Why, even his new position as head zookeeper at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ ) is ?natural?, for Mr. Marirea?s love of flora, fauna and the environment goes back to ?day one? when he grew up in a family where keeping animals and ?growing things? were a normal part of life ? and literally shaped his future.

Today, while the scale and scope of those early interests has broadened considerably, his affinity for them remains as passionate as ever, and it is with genuine enthusiasm that he outlines the long but steady road to his present position.

?Through the Youth Employment Programme I worked for Government over the summer holidays in the Fisheries Division and also with then-Government veterinarian Dr. Neil Burnie. I did the survey on feral cats. At the Aquarium, I started as a teenager sweeping the grounds.?

Then Mr. Marirea went to St. Mary?s University in Halifax, from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology before returning home where, to his delight, he found immediate employment as a zookeeper ? a dream job fulfilled in 1992.

?Thank God I lucked out because this is where I wanted to be. I have now been here for 14 years, and I love the serenity,? he says.

Defining the zookeeper?s role, Mr. Marirea says it is ?doing a bit of everything, mainly for the animals?.

?We maintain their environment, do a lot of feeding and cleaning, and since this is the number one tourist facility, we also interact with our visitors and guests. Basically, we?re jacks of all trades. We do the odd tour for the Aquacamp children, bringing out animals at various functions, as well as exhibition designs. In fact, there are a lot of interesting areas we can get into, depending on what someone wants to put into it. My main focus, and what I really enjoy, is the natural environment that the animal is in. That is a real passion of mine.?

While Mr. Marirea?s recent expertise was in the Caribbean and flamingo exhibits, his new appointment as head zookeeper means that, while still being involved in zookeeping, as part of the management team he will be also overseeing everything that goes on.

Certainly, he is filled with ideas and goals to make the future of the Flatts facility even more appealing and efficient than it is now.

?Part of my job is keeping up with what is going on in zoos around the world,? he says. ?There is always something new.?

In this case, ?something new? includes continued development of exhibits replicating, as far as possible, the animals and birds? natural environments.

?Exhibits have progressed and become more detailed, and we have gotten away from the concrete exhibits of the past,? Mr. Marirea says. ?We have a lot of leeway with today?s technology. Like zoos worldwide, we are trying to have as natural an environment as possible where people can visit without barriers, although natural safety barriers are in effect, such as thorny hedges or water so you cannot get to the animals directly. You can be here for hours and not realise it. Vegetation is all strategically placed.?

A case in point is the new flamingo pond, where the exotic coral-coloured birds live happily au naturel; breeding is up, and thanks to the salt water pond, they even have wild birds visiting.

?Basically, we have turned the exhibit into a mangrove pond,? Mr. Marirea says. ?We planted mangrove trees, which are now eight to nine feet tall, and they are attracting birds normally found in the mangrove areas, so we have wildlife flying in. The pond is salt water, as opposed to the former stagnant, freshwater pond.?

Because flamingoes are heavy, they need a long run-up to take off, which the big mangrove trees prevent, so with that escape route closed, clipping their wings, or performing surgery at birth is no longer necessary.

While altering the wings didn?t affect the birds as such, during the breeding season the males had balance problems, resulting in infertile eggs.

Since part of the zoo?s breeding programme is trading with other zoos, as well as shipping birds and animals to other destinations for release into the wild, the other side of that coin is population management. As a small facility, BAMZ simply cannot allow nature to take its normal course at all times, so fake eggs and birth control are part of keeping the residents happy.

?Our female tamarind has a birth control implant so we can run her with the boys and everybody is happy,? Mr. Marirea says. ?This keeps the social dynamics together. The tamarinds are in an international species survival programme. They are an endangered species, but you can?t breed them indiscriminately. We are currently in a holding breed pattern. Eventually we hope to send some back to the wild or ship them to another zoo for their breeding programmes.?

Since part of the head zookeeper?s responsibilities includes ensuring proper nutrition for all of his charges, again he keeps up with new developments abroad, and food is always planned with optimum health in mind.

Otters, for example, are very prone to kidney ailments, so since they live in a small space with limited opportunities to burn off fat, they are fed small portions to prevent obesity. Lemurs will also grow fat if their food is not hidden in tubes so that they have to work at getting it.

Small wonder, then, that with such meticulous planning, Mr. Marirea and his colleagues don?t want the public feeding the animals anything, including candy, as they pass through the exhibits.

?They are all on strict diets to prevent them getting fat, acquiring human ailments, or going to pot,? he says. ?Without (visitors feeding them) food they will go back to their natural behaviours. It increases the visitor experience when an animal comes up to you and goes on its merry way. If you start altering the animal?s behaviour by offering them things they shouldn?t get, that isn?t beneficial to the next person coming in. Behaviour enrichment is a big factor, especially in a small zoo.?

Looking to the future, the head zookeeper is particularly excited by two upcoming projects: the Madagascar exhibit, and the animal hospital, the latter to be built on the side of the old aviary and filled with state-of-the-art equipment, including an X-ray unit and operating table, to make health checks and treatments easier.

Since BAMZ is now concentrating on ?small island environments?, the aim of the Madagascar exhibit will be to give Bermudians a better understanding of their own Island, which has a very high population and many of our species under threat.

?If you understand the environment, you will most likely try to protect and save it,? Mr. Marirea says.

?All islands have unique animals, and one of our main goals is to inspire and appreciate an island environment. Madagascar is full of animals not found anywhere else, and it is under threat.?

Certainly, he is proud of the fact that, whenever new exhibits are planned, they are done ?in house?, with experienced, multi-talented staffers working on everything from initial research through design details to the finished product.

Volunteers are another invaluable aspect of BAMZ, and Mr. Marirea describes them as ?extremely dedicated and dependable. Within them you get a core group who just love it, which is great.

?That is the neat thing about this place ? you can become addicted. It is very therapeutic.?