TAMPA, Fla. — ZooTampa's Antonio Fernandez knows the names of all his bird friends.
In fact, "Pancake," the lorikeet, is sitting on his shoulder as he speaks.
"Birds are a good indicator of how healthy an environment might be," said Fernandez, the zoo's associate avian curator. "If you see an environment that's rich with birds, it gives you an idea that that area is doing well."
Born in Puerto Rico and a veteran of both SeaWorld and Disney, Fernandez is part of the zoo's Latino Conservation Week, connecting Tampa Bay's Latino community to nature.
Fernandez is a guiding light here, and he was once a young man in Puerto Rico who loved animals.
Maybe, by speaking up and celebrating his beloved zoo, he can pass on that love of nature to a child just like he was.
"The more people who go outside and learn about biodiversity, the more they'll be in tune with nature and how to take care of nature," he said. "Especially here in Florida, it's important to get any resident interested in animals."
