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A Day in the Life of the Zoo’s Commissary Keeper
Posted on Sunday, January 11th, 2026
Most animal keepers at the Zoo have specialized knowledge of the animals in their area, from fish and other aquatic animals to great apes to big cats. This expertise helps them provide informed daily care, behavior-based enrichment, and health monitoring. The Zoo’s commissary keeper, however, has a slightly different skill set. Keeper Kelly Morgan does not focus on just one area of the Zoo; she supports the entire Zoo by managing its supply of fresh food and essential supplies.
Kelly delivers food for the animals every morning
Her day starts early – at 6:00 a.m., Kelly checks the temperatures of the coolers and freezers before loading a van with the morning’s deliveries. When the animal keepers in each area arrive at 7:00, she has already delivered their produce, meat, medications, and other supplies. The biggest produce delivery goes to the gorillas, whose plant-powered diet requires 95 pounds of fresh greens each day.
Kelly preps the sloth bear and Andean bear diets
Delivery van empty, Kelly returns to the commissary to prep for the next day. This involves weighing produce, cooking items such as yams and eggs, and cutting meat. She accepts deliveries from food vendors and manages inventory, new orders, and special requests from all areas of the Zoo. Once a week, she picks up fresh eucalyptus for the koalas directly from the airport, and other items necessitate trips to the grocery store – like milk for Jameela the gorilla.
The gorillas eat 95 pounds of produce each day, including green beans
Managing the commissary is no small responsibility. The Zoo purchases around 3200 pounds of fresh food each week – totaling roughly $4,000 – so proper management is key. Kelly’s job requires her to be highly organized and reliable with a focus on cleanliness and food safety – the thousands of animals at the Zoo depend on it!
The Zoo is committed to prioritizing fresh, nutritious food for the animals to support their best health. All in all, it costs around $800,000 to feed the animals each year – it is a steep tab, and we are proud to say that Zoo Society donors have covered 35% of this bill so far in 2025. Our generous philanthropic community makes a huge difference for the animals at the Zoo!
Zoo News 2.0: A Day in the Life - Zoo Commissary Animal Keeper