FEATURED E-TEAM MEMBER: SHAUN FOSTER, GATOR WRESTLER
Shaun, just a cool guy with a snake!
SHAUN FOSTER
Joined the E-Team: Jan. 10th, 2007
Age: 27
College Major: Biology
What made you want to become a gator wrestler; was there a particular experience that helped you make this decision?
I’ve always had a love for animals and nature, particularly reptiles. When I applied for Gatorland I didn’t necessarily think about wrestling gators, I just wanted to work with reptiles!
What was the craziest thing that has ever happened to you at Gatorland?
There isn’t one particular thing, but working with the crocodiles keeps you on your toes. It can be pretty intimidating when you’re feeding them; they don’t always know the difference between the food and you.
What is your favorite alligator at Gatorland and why?
My favorite gator would have to be Marion. She was the first gator I wrestled and I love how she is always really aggressive. It’s always a great show when the gator tries to eat you!
If you had a choice to travel anywhere in the world to study animals, where would you go and what animal would you study?
It’s hard to pick just one place. One of the many places would be the Zapata Swamp in Cuba to study Cuban Crocodiles in their natural habitat. There are many reason why I would like to study them but the greatest reason is that they are one of the most endangered species, so they might not be around for much longer.
What is the best part of working here at Gatorland?
There are a lot of great things about this job. Working with animals that most people never even get to see is definitely awesome. The people I work with are great, I could never ask for a better boss or co-workers. Talking to our guests is another great thing about working here. People are always so amazed and interested in what we do for a living, and that always reminds me how lucky I am to have a job that I truly love.
Have you ever had any close calls working with alligators or any other animal here at Gatorland?
There was one in particular that was pretty scary, I won’t go into details, but my boss loves close calls…you don’t get hurt, and you learn from them!
What made you interested in alligators/reptiles?
I can’t give a good answer for that. I guess being born and raised in Florida had something to do with it. I’ve always loved the ocean, the woods, and nature in general. In grade school all the kids would go home and play video games, I would go play in the woods and look for snakes and turtles and any other reptile I would catch with my good friend Noah.
What kind of pets do you have at home?
Over the last couple of years I’ve had all kinds of reptiles. Right now I have a dog, two green iguanas and an African Spur-Thigh Tortoise.
Why those pets?
All of them were being put up for adoption and I’m a sucker for animals, so what can I say?!
What kind of hobbies do you have?
I would call them “passions” more than hobbies… I’ve been playing drums for about 12 years and I LOVE music. I can also play a few other instruments. I’ve been in and out of martial arts basically my whole life. I also love playing pool, especially when I play against Donny, (another E Team member), because I always win!!!
Do you have any special talents?
My best talent is drumming.
Do you have someone who inspired you to get in to this field?
Mother Nature and my good friend Noah. He was the person who first really got me into reptiles.
What was your last job?
I was a server at T.G.I. Friday’s for about six years. I’ll just say that I’m a lot happier working with reptiles!!!
If there was one thing you would like for our guests to know about you, what would that be?
Yes, I still have all of my fingers, all nine of them!!!