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Laura Gruber grew up in a household of wildlife research biologists. She spent her childhood observing and assisting in local and international field studies, attending lectures, and volunteering in an endocrine lab. She began her career at the Zoological Society of San Diego as an Assistant to the Goodwill Ambassador, Joan Embery, providing conservation based presentations to family groups, corporate events and television audiences. She moved on to become an Animal Care Specialist, working with over 100 exotic species, focusing on the husbandry of endangered species and their reproduction, including the Arabian oryx and Somali wild ass. She graduated San Diego State University with a BS in Biology.
Laura currently works for Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the Animal Science and Environment division as an Animal Care Specialist. She manages a diverse collection of animals at the park, educates and inspires guests about conservation, participates in on-site native wildlife studies, and facilitates research studies with various animal science teams. Laura also works with a non-profit, Papoose Conservation Wildlife Foundation, as the Education Outreach Coordinator. The foundation inspires the conservation leaders of tomorrow by providing funding to programs that get children into nature, as well as supporting biodiversity through funding scientific studies of lesser known species. She has met with local conservation educators in Rwanda and Uganda to learn about their programs and brainstorm on potential funding possibilities through Papoose. In her free time Laura volunteers in events that encourage children to experience nature, participates in education outreach programs through Audubon Center for Birds of Prey, and cares for her personal reptile collection which includes animals managed through the Turtle Survival Alliance.