FEATURED E-TEAM MEMBER: MARCO ZENO, GATOR WRESTLER
Marco handling one of our large pythons.
MARCO ZENO
Joined the E-Team: June 12th, 2007
Age: 20
College Major: Theatre
What made you want to join the Gatorland Entertainment team? Was there a particular experience that helped you make this decision?
Because I could combine my two greatest loves: working with animals (especially reptiles) and performing.
Do you have someone who inspired you to work with reptiles?
I have always loved working with reptiles but I have had various people who inspired me along the way. The guys that taught me how to wrestle in South Florida, the late Mike “Skeet” Johns and James Pedcock and other conservationist like Steve Irwin have kept me very driven.
What was the craziest thing that has ever happened to you with wild animals?
Swimming with wild alligators in the Florida Everglades! Kids don’t try this!!!
OK, so you are a Gatorland Gator Wrestler. What in the world made you want to jump on the back of a gator?
My love of animals! I want people to understand more about alligators so they will want to save them. People are afraid of alligators because they don’t understand them. If they learn more about them, then maybe one day WE CAN ALL live in harmony. I also enjoy wrestling because of the deep traditions that are rooted in the Seminole Indians and the old Florida Cattle Men (Crackers).
Before coming here you wrestled for the Seminal Indians, how was that different from Gatorland wrestling?
Wrestling in South Florida is a whole different world. It’s a bit crazier and has a lot less rules and safety procedures. We did crazy stuff like putting our heads in the alligator’s mouths. Safety is much more important here at Gatorland but the wrestling is just as fun. I like Gatorland’s style because it is fun and you get to connect with the audience more and make them laugh and learn.
To graduate as a Gatorland Gator Wrestler you have to wrestle all 12 of the gators at the Wrestling Arena in two and a half hours. When you graduated what was your strategy?
I had a big dinner with lots of carbs, then had a good healthy breakfast and lots of energy drinks. Then my plan was……not to get bit!
Why is there always a back-up entertainer with you when you are wrestling?
In case something goes wrong during the show the back-up entertainer can grab a big stick and run over and wack me on the head so I won’t feel the pain! No, I’m just kidding…they are there to help in case of a gator bite.
So trust is very important! You trust your team member with your life so how do you build that trust?
Working together as a team builds a lot of trust. We work together constantly on the shows and with the animals and we are friends outside of work too.
The work you do is serious because of the danger but it is fun too. So tell me a funny story about the E-Team?
We had a party as a team on night and since I use to work in the circus I decided to do some tricks for the party. I did some juggling and fire tricks. I was breathing fire and Donny really wanted to learn so I gave him a crash course in fire breathing and made sure he was safe and …..he did it! It was a whole lot of fun.
If there was one thing you would like for our guest to know about you, what would that be?
I always love telling guest about my past as a clown for three years with Ringling Brothers and my time wrestling alligators on the Seminole reservation in South Florida.