By David Laurell

While some people start counting the days till they can retire when they are still in their 30s, others never give retirement a thought – finding great satisfaction and fulfillment in their work well into their later years. For those who choose to stay in the work world there seems to be a consistent thread that runs through their decision – that what they do isn’t work, but rather a passion.

That is certainly the case with Ron Ringer who for close to two decades has served as the senior elephant keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Born in Fort Worth, Texas and raised in Oklahoma and Kansas, Ron was one of those kids who was always nursing injured lizards or opossums. “I drove my parents nuts,” says Ron. “I was always bringing home all kinds of little creatures. Good thing there were not many wild elephants roaming the plains of Oklahoma,” he adds with a laugh.

As the years went by, Ron continued to harbor a love for the care of animals and enrolled in Kansas State University with the dream of becoming a wildlife biologist. “That didn’t happen because at the time I was getting ready to graduate all the funding had been cut to the National Parks Services,” says Ron. “Getting a job in that field was non-existent. So, I had been working at a small zoo in Manhattan Kansas, and after I graduated I heard about a zoo keeper job that was open down the road in Topeka.”

Offered the position, Ron found himself working with a wide variety of animals including big cats, primates and bears – for a little over 30 days. “I had hardly been on the job for a month when I was asked if I would be interested in working exclusively with the elephants,” says Ron. “I said I would give it go, and now, 30-years later, I’m still doing it and enjoying it very much.”

Since joining the staff of the San Diego Zoo as an elephant keeper in the early-1990s, Ron has garnered international renown for his expertise in the care and handling of pachyderms. Highly respected for his knowledge and expertise, he has served on the board of directors of the worldwide Elephant Managers Association for over 17 years.

Every morning, Ron rises long before the sun. Leaving his wife, Angie, and their four children, he arrives at the zoo at 5: a.m. and makes his way to The Harry and Grace Steele Elephant Odyssey – a seven-and-a-half-acre multispecies habitat that is home to eight Asian elephants – Sumithi, Devi, Ranchipur, Cookie, Mary, Cha Cha, Tina and Jewel, and one African elephant named Tembo.

“I feel extremely lucky to have the opportunity to be a part of the elephant’s world,” says Ron. “I have taken care of 11 elephants throughout my career – two back in Kansas, and nine here in San Diego. I’ve been around hundreds of elephants, and each one is unique, just like people. They all have their own personality and quirks. They are magical to watch – how they manipulate their environment and cuddle their babies – how they touch and interact with each other. It’s not hard for me to get up at 5: a.m. and go to work each day because of what I get to do.”

Among the things Ron gets to do are feedings, exercise and training, assisting in veterinary care, bathing and much more. “I even give elephant pedicures and I’m also their psychologist,” he adds with a laugh.

Also responsible for the care of the zoo’s tapirs, capybaras, guanacos and camels, Ron says his fondness for the elephants stems from their personality and sense of humor. “People don’t realize it but elephants can be real practical jokers,” says Ron. “Our one elephant, Devi, loves to get a trunk-full of water and spray people. She loves to hear the screams and see the people’s reactions.”

Ron also admits that while his charges can be humorous and charming, they can also be challenging. “One time, back in Kansas, I had a situation where a woman was visiting the zoo and one of the elephants grabbed her purse and ate it,” says Ron. “The lady was screaming about her credit cards, and money, and wallet. I told her there was nothing I could do until the following day, when I could see what comes out the other end. I did just that. I went through everything and I did find some of her things including a perfume bottle.”

While Ron loves working with the elephants, he says he also really enjoys working with the public. “Ever since we opened Elephant Odyssey last year, we do a lot of talks with the public,” Ron explains. “Every day, between noon and 1: p.m., we do what we call activity time when the keepers are available to the public to answer questions. It’s one of my favorite things – to educate the public as to what we do to care for our elephants.”

When talking to Ron, the public quickly learns that the health and well-being of their elephants, as with all of the zoo’s animals, is paramount. “My entire career has been dedicated to the care of elephants,” says Ron. “It is my job to see that they are cared for well and that they are healthy.”

Calling the Elephant Odyssey habitat the “Taj Mahal of animal exhibits,” Ron says that he and every member of the San Diego Zoo’s staff is dedicated to doing things really right. “There will always be critics of whether or not elephants should be kept in a zoo setting,” Ron reasons. “But there is so little of the wild left for them, and very few people will ever have the chance to go to Africa and take a safari to see an elephant in the wild. So we are the shortcut so that people can see these beautiful animals. I certainly don’t want to see elephants go extinct, so we as a zoological society work with other conservation organizations. We sponsor an organization in Botswana called Elephants Without Boarders that studies and protects wild elephants. We partner with then to assure that elephants will be around for a long time to come. That is our goal.”

As for what exactly is a long time for an elephant, Ron says they can live well into their 60s and even their 70s if there health is good. “One of the things we specifically designed when we built Elephant Odyssey is an area to take care of older elephants,” Ron points out. “Right now, our youngest elephant is 33 and our oldest is 55, so all of our elephants are getting up there in years. Because of that we are constantly looking at what causes health problems and premature death in elephants – foot disease, arthritis, being overweight. A lot of the same maladies that effect older people. We watch their weight, give them proper exercise and regular pedicures. This has all been designed to keep our elephants around for a long time.”

And just how long does Ron himself plan on being around his beloved elephants?

“As a man in his 50s who is still doing this kind of work – I’m a dying breed,” he laughs. “But I still love it. I have seen a lot of changes in the way animals are cared for at zoos over the years, and we all continue to learn every day how to do what we do in a better way. For me, as an old grizzled veteran, it kind of feels good that I have been involved for so long and have helped other zoos set-up their programs. I am very glad that at my age I still feel I am really making a difference. I enjoy this work today as much, if not more, as I did when I first started. I hope to be doing this for a long time to come – until they cart me out of here.”

WHEN VISTING THE SAN DIEGO ZOO – DON’T FEED THE ANIMALS, BUT DO SAY “HI” TO RON

If you plan on visiting the San Diego Zoo, Ron Ringer asks that you make it a point to stop by and say hello to him. He also reminds folks that the zoo offers a bus service that will take them around the facility if walking is a problem.

Ron also encourages people who care about wildlife to learn more about Elephants Without Borders, the Botswana-based organizations that studies and protects nearly half of the elephants that remain on the African continent.

For further information on this organization’s work, Ron suggests you join an online program – San Diego Zoo’s Global Action Team – that is generating support for its conservation efforts and striving to empower a global community to take small steps toward making a big difference in our planet’s future. To join the San Diego Zoo’s Global Action Team and learn more about the Zoo’s conservation work, click on www.globalactionteam.org.