Tattoos are ceaselessly a bodily expression of one thing that an individual is . Nowhere is that extra glaring than on the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Lawn! A lot of our workforce contributors have paintings on their our bodies that constitute the animals that experience lived right here. Learn on to determine information about the tattoos that the CZBG Staff is happy to blow their own horns!
Andie Haugen, Cat Ambassador Staff
Animal that your tattoo represents: Donni the cheetah
Who was once your tattoo artist?: Dino Nemec in Columbus, Ohio
Why did you get a tattoo of this animal/what does this tattoo imply to you?: I’ve all the time had an excessively particular dating with Donni and his larger-than-life persona. He’s an excessively assured, charismatic, clever and affectionate cat and I knew if I used to be ever going to get a tattoo, I’d need it to be of him. I were given the tattoo of him to have a good time how a long way I’ve come overcoming hardship in my existence and undertaking my desires. It’s a glance again on the place I’ve been and a look ahead to what my long term holds.
Alicia Sampson, Cat Ambassador Staff
Animal that your tattoo represents: Sihil the Ocelot
Who was once your tattoo artist?: Randall Wagoner at Moonlight Studios in Champaign, Illinois
Why did you get a tattoo of this animal/what does this tattoo imply to you?: Sihil was once one of the vital first cats that I fell in love with on the Cat Ambassador Program. She was once an excessively candy cat to the folk that she would consider however that wasn’t very many of us. I all the time felt commemorated that she would consider me so as to take her into one of the vital loopy techniques that we use to do. Any person had captured this image of her years in the past and I all the time knew that’s what I sought after to be tattooed, I simply had to in finding the precise artist. I sought after so as to take an image of her with the tattoo however unfortunately she gave up the ghost about 1 month earlier than I may end the method.
Colleen Nissen, Cat Ambassador Staff
Animal that your tattoo represents: Santos the Ocelot
The place did you get your tattoo/who was once your artist?: I were given my tattoo accomplished and retouched by means of Zach Just right in Centerville, OH
Why did you get a tattoo of this animal/what does this tattoo imply to you?: Santos was once an ocelot we hand raised, so I had a right away bond with him. However Santos is a brilliant reminder of the paintings we do to be advocates for our animals. Along the entire bodily prerequisites we offer for the animals in our care, we also are answerable for their psychological expansion, stimulation and well-being. Santos has been recognized an nervousness dysfunction, one thing him and I’ve in commonplace. I’m proud to have labored collaboratively with my workforce and our Vet workforce to get a hold of the most efficient imaginable high quality of existence for him and make changes for him to thrive and blossom.
Michelle Curley, Communications Director
Animal that your tattoo represents: Fiona
The place did you get your tattoo/who was once your artist?: Northside, Dasha Gilliss
Why did you get a tattoo of this animal/what does this tattoo imply to you?: Getting a tattoo was once by no means one thing I assumed I might do. However, when I used to be fortunate sufficient to lend a hand deal with Fiona throughout her early days, it simply gave the impression proper to place an everlasting reminder of that tremendous, life-changing revel in the place I may see it on a daily basis. It’s if truth be told on my again, however I realize it’s there if I wish to see it. The primary paragraph of this NYT article references my tattoo and the truth that my husband doesn’t love it!
Emily Myers, Cat Ambassador Staff
Animal that your tattoo represents: Tommy T the Cheetah
The place did you get your tattoo/who was once your artist?: Matt Clanin (He has a brand new shop- Love Bee Tattoo!)
Why did you get a tattoo of this animal/what does this tattoo imply to you?: Tom was once the primary cheetah I truly hooked up with. He was once additionally the primary cheetah I discovered to stroll and educate as part of the Cat Ambassador Program! He’s any such candy boy, and I’ve been fortunate sufficient to expand a perfect dating with him over time. Once I consider the entire issues I really like about my process, he’s indubitably close to the highest of the record! I sought after my first tattoo to be additional particular, and not anything felt extra particular than getting Tom (and his signature “snaggle enamel”) tattooed on me eternally ?
Ashley O’Connell, Chook Area (Previously of Natural world Canyon!)
Animal that your tattoo represents: Six-banded armadillo, Dilbert, vampire bat from Night time Hunters, Western Lowland gorilla, Kwashi, Bactrian camel, Humphrey, takin, Harry, Sumatran rhino, Harapan, potto, Gabriel, Przewalski’s horse, Bajkit (her shoulder “celebrity trek” marking is on Humphrey’s facet)
The place did you get your tattoo/who was once your artist?: Chris Powell; up to now at Aisle 9 in Dayton OH, now Chris Powell Tattoos in Springfield, OH
Why did you get a tattoo of this animal/what does this tattoo imply to you?: It was once an 8 12 months thought. I sought after to get a photorealism, black and grey tattoo of a few of my favourite animals I’ve labored with over my profession. The unique thought was once so as to add directly to the tattoo as I went via my profession however after 8 years and all my favorites I had to this point it ended up being an entire tattoo itself. I’ve labored in 4 other departments in my 12 ½ 12 months profession; Primate Heart and a reduction keeper for what was once then Nocturnal Area, Primate Heart keeper, Natural world Canyon keeper, and now Chook Area keeper. (A chicken tattoo is in my long term.) This tattoo now not handiest highlights my profession but additionally is a memorial for animals that I’ve cared for that experience handed on, moved to other places, or are in numerous departments than me right here on the Cincinnati Zoo.
Alicia Sampson, Cat Ambassador Staff
Animal that your tattoo represents: Tommy T the Cheetah
Who was once your tattoo artist?: Steve Kenny at Beelistic Tattoo
Why did you get a tattoo of this animal/what does this tattoo imply to you?: Tommy T was once the primary child cheetah that I were given to lift. He’s any such candy massive cheetah. In 2012 we were given a possibility to run all of our cheetahs for a shoot for Nationwide Geographic and Tommy T run that was once the remaining one at the remaining day ended up being the most efficient photographs of the week. He ended up being the centerfold of the Nationwide Geographic mag. This image is in line with the centerfold image. It was once all the time a dream of mine so as to paintings for Nationwide Geographic and right here I used to be running with them with considered one of my favourite animals. It was once a dream come true.
Raven Cox and Lindsay Porter, Wild Encounters Staff
Animal that your tattoo represents: Zoey the Giraffe
Who was once your tattoo artist?: Damien Ridgeway at Hybrid Symbol in Clifton
Why did you get a tattoo of this animal/what does this tattoo imply to you?: We were given this tattoo in combination this 12 months! We completely love Zoey and her humorous floppy ear! We would have liked to get a zoo-related tattoo and when we got to work and doing the giraffe feedings, we knew that we had to get our icon, Zoey! This was once Raven’s first tattoo!!
Shae Miller, Supervisor of Wild Encounters
Animal that your tattoo represents: Audra the Pink Panda
Who was once your tattoo artist?: Jessica Poole at Riot Riot Tattoo in Dayton
Why did you get a tattoo of this animal/what does this tattoo imply to you?: I used to be main purple panda excursions in 2019 and early 2020 earlier than the zoo closed for the COVID-19 pandemic when Audra was once a toddler. I liked her such a lot and getting to look her was once the most efficient a part of my day! Sooner or later that wintry weather, it snowed truly exhausting and Audra and her sister, Lenore, had a ton of a laugh romping round within the snow whilst I used to be within the backyard with them. It’s considered one of my maximum loved recollections that I’ve made right here! She is considered one of my maximum favourite animals on the zoo and once we have been closed for the pandemic, I ignored her such a lot. To offer protection to each and every different, and the animals, we divided into groups and we weren’t ready to intermix. I spent the summer time with the Cheetah workforce which was once superior however I didn’t get to seek advice from with Audra. I were given my Audra tattoo in the summertime of 2020 to have a good time our reopening and getting to look her once more!
Wendy Rice, Africa Staff
Animal that your tattoo represents: John the African Lion
The place did you get your tattoo/who was once your artist?: Designs by means of Dana, Dasha Gilliss
Why did you get a tattoo of this animal/what does this tattoo imply to you?: Running with John has supplied me with the most important demanding situations and probably the most rewarding stories of my zookeeping profession. Observing him develop and alter over the ten years he’s been at our zoo and seeing him change into this superb assured cat when he began out so undecided of himself has been stunning to witness and inspirational. I’ve liked growing a dating with him and having the ability to keep up a correspondence with him via coaching. Construction consider has been so magical and is the whole lot I had was hoping for after I become a zoo keeper. I really like looking at our visitors be “wowed” by means of John. He’s magnificent and particular and in addition humorous and ridiculous in such a lot of techniques. I’ve in point of fact liked being his keeper and cherish on a daily basis that I’ve gotten to be part of his existence. ? It’s a geometrical illustration of his nostril and it contains his whisker spots from his identity row (his best row) of whiskers. The identity row (compared with the second one row, or the reference row) is fully distinctive to each and every lion identical to our finger prints. So that is John lion’s whisker trend of his identity row. I’ve additionally assigned each and every person whisker spot to a different particular person in my existence… so each and every spot represents one of the crucial significant other people in my existence type of orbiting round my middle whilst additionally representing my favourite animal!
