TRAVEL

I Had the Coolest Job at 16 and Didn’t Even Know It

Not just a job but a travel destination

It has been 23 years since my 16-year-old self started as a tour guide at the Wilds.

It actually doesn’t feel that long ago, jumping on a big school bus, and talking about wildlife to a crowd of 30 or more.

But time tells me otherwise.

The Wilds is not far from where I grew up as a kid. It’s the largest conservation facility in North America located in Ohio. Not to be confused with the reserve in Johannesburg, South Africa, by the same name.

It’s home to endangered and rare animals allowing the general public an opportunity to pay an admission fee and go on tours to see wildlife in a more natural open setting.

If you would have stepped on one of our buses over 20 years ago, there’s a chance I could have been your tour guide.

Looking back I had the coolest job, and I didn’t even know it.

A little history

The Wilds was made possible through a gift in the form of almost 10,000 acres of reclaimed land from the Central Ohio Coal Company, a subsidiary of American Electric Power.

I remember years before I started working there when they had a dedication ceremony for the Johnson Center. There was only one building on the premises that served as the welcome center. No animals had arrived yet.

John Glenn, NASA astronaut and the first American to orbit the earth, did the honors. He was a big hometown hero growing up not far in Cambridge, OH.

I have a distant memory of participating in a scavenger hunt that day. Small stuffed animals were hidden for kids to find around the center. I remember finding a tiny snow leopard stuffy and thought I won the lottery.

I had no idea a decade later I would be doing tours. Life is funny like that.

How it happened

A high school friend of mine had spent the previous summer as a tour guide and asked if I would be interested in working there.

It was an ideal summer job since the park closed for tours in the early fall, and I didn’t have to drive far to work.

So I put my first resume together and drove through those curvy country roads to apply for the job.

Before I knew it, I was talking to someone on the phone and attending my first day of orientation.

I had safety training I had to complete in addition to learning about all of our animals on the property. At that time I want to say we had anywhere between 25–35 different species, no carnivores.

First up in our hour-long tour, we were greeted by these Bactrian camels. I had been warned that they may try to spit at the buses (hence another reason for guests to keep their arms and hands inside the windows), but I guess I was lucky.

The camels never seemed to spit at my bus.

In the photo, you can see the rolling hills behind them. Much of the landscape is like this where the animals can roam freely in the pasture. Most of the time the camels stay by the shelters where the shade and food are near.

When the bus entered and exited the five different pastures, I would radio the animal management staff and have them open the gates for us to get through. It’s a very large chain-linked fence standing several feet high. I had to be sure no other animals were near the gates in case they would try to escape to a different pasture.

There were a couple of times some stubborn bison didn’t want to move, but other than that I had no issues.

As we entered our second pasture, we saw our antelope species.

The Scimitar-Horned oryx seen in the first picture was once very common all over North Africa. Today sadly they are considered extinct in the wild. The Sable antelope not under the same threat as the oryx is also an African species and striking in appearances. Both are beautiful creatures.

It was always at the end of my tour when I got to see some of my favorite animals. There was the Indian rhino (Greater One-Horned rhino) and both the Reticulated and Rothschild giraffes.

Most of the time our female Indian rhino was covered in mud to stay cool (unfortunately no picture).

Both our Reticulated and Rothschild giraffes were always fun to watch. From eating all the leaves off the trees with their black tongues to galloping over a hill, I never tired of watching them.

Fun Fact: A way of telling the difference between the Reticulated and Rothschild giraffes has to do with the coloring of their coats. The Reticulated have defined brown patches clearly outlined in white throughout their body like the one above. The Rothschild tends to be a little darker and more blended in with the white (like the coloring was smudged) on their bodies.

Our giraffes were always friendly even coming up close to the bus sometimes to get a good look at the guests trying to watch them.

Other Wilds experiences

Since my experience as a teen working at the Wilds, they have gone on to add other incredible activities for guests to enjoy besides the open-air safaris.

Now you can rent a cabin and stay along the lake on the property or make it a unique experience and stay in a private yurt.

They even have mountain biking nearby, an opportunity to go birding at Jeffrey Point or take a relaxing walk through the butterfly habitat.

For my 30th birthday, I returned to the Wilds with my husband.

Instead of going on a bus safari, we opted for a zipline safari instead.

It wasn’t an option when I worked there at 16, but today if you’re daring enough you can zipline over some of the pastures and see the animals from a different perspective.

I highly recommend it.

A place to consider

If you ever find yourself visiting Ohio, consider squeezing in a trip to the Wilds.

Built around a purpose to educate and support conservation, the Wilds is a great example of how important it is to take care of our wildlife and learn as much as you can to protect them.

It’s a travel destination worth adding to your itinerary if you can.

I still can’t believe at 16 I was given a chance to be a part of a cause so big. It’s a special season of my life I’ll never forget.

Thank you for taking the time to read and engage with my articles. I truly appreciate your support.

You can get more of my writing in your inbox by subscribing here.

A portion of your membership fee through my referral link above supports me in continuing my journey on this inspiring platform. If you use my link, I would be very grateful.

Contact me for content writing opportunities: [email protected]