Experience

Michelle has worked with a diverse collection of exotic animals during her career as a Zoologist and Animal Trainer for Busch Gardens, Tampa Florida and The Palm Beach Zoo in West Palm Beach, Florida. She worked with mammals such as Tigers, Dingoes, Serval Cats, Koalas, New Guinea Singing Dogs, Anteaters and even Binturongs.....to name a few. She has worked with birds from every corner of the world, including introducing the first free flighted Roseate Spoonbills to the Palm Beach Zoo's Wings Over Water Bird Show. Michelle loves the scaly creatures too. She has worked 'hands-on' with incredible reptiles including Komodo Dragons, Burmese Pythons, 6 species of Crocodilians and the deadly Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.

Michelle is committed to conserving wildlife around the world. She volunteered to help raise 1500 American Flamingo chicks in the Yucatan so that they could later be released back into the wild. Mexico reports that the operation was successful. Many of the flamingos she helped care for are now raising their own babies in the Yucatan wilderness! She even volunteered to help thousands of Asian Turtles and Tortoises that were confiscated by the United States Fish and Game commission. The turtles and tortoises were discovered inside a ship in Southern Florida bound for the Asian human food markets. Michelle helped nurse them back to health and place them in permanent homes in Zoos across the United States.

Pictured are: African Serval Cat, Spoonbill, Diamondback Rattlesnake and Binturong.