Yeesh, I guess I got lucky! My parents are both biologists, specializing in conservation of habitat. Or were before they bought a campground, heh. Dad is still on the local stewardship committee though, and he's working on clearing some of our local waterways that are important for native fish and waterfowl to survive.
I can thank them for my love of animals. They raised me to respect all animals. Their idea of a fun day out with the kids was to go to the local bird sanctuary and watch the Tundra Swans land. They pretty much never denied me a pet, as long as I did a ton of research first and could demonstrate my knowledge. I had to research for two years before I got my dog. I had to research almost as long before they bought me my cockatiel (though I probably would have steered them clear of cockatiels if they'd consulted with me. Then maybe she wouldn't have had to be rehomed.
)
Now I'm that girl who's all gung-ho to touch and interact with anything. I'm the one with my hand way up in the air to hold the reticulated python, or slipping on a glove to assist with a raptor show. I've held everything from armadillos to tarantulas to barred owls. I love it.
I probably would have gone into animal behavioural studies myself, if I didn't hate doing science and lab reports so much.
