A note on Josiah’s Inspiration to produce this film:

Premiering at the 50th Annual AAZK National Conference

October 6th, 2025

A film by Josiah Olmstead

In the late 1960’s, without the help of computers and the internet, seven men set out to connect zoos across the U.S. for the first time and transform the field of animal care. It was a feat met with roadblocks and resistance, but thanks to their efforts it would grow into one of the largest zoological organizations in the world.

This documentary traces the bold beginnings of the American Association of Zookeepers, showcasing the incredible history of the organization and the animal care profession. Along the way, we take viewers behind the scenes at iconic zoos, where keepers are more than employees — they’re animal advocates, problem-solvers, and sometimes—gibbon impersonators.

Yes, there are stories of animal escapes and the dangers of the job. But this isn’t Tiger King. This is about the people who rarely make headlines — the keepers who dedicate their lives, on and off the clock, to protecting our planet’s most vulnerable species and ecosystems.

Meet the films creator-Josiah Olmstead

This documentary began as a personal search to fill in a few missing pieces about my grandfather, Dick Sweeney, a former San Diego Zoo Keeper, and one of AAZK’s seven founders. 

But as I sat with the other founders and listened to their stories — flying a black bear cub in the cabin of a 747, female keepers being told they can’t work with certain species because of their gender, the threat of being fired for wearing the first AAZK patch — I realized this wasn’t just family history. It was a powerful story that had never been fully told.

So I picked up my camera to help preserve it.

The grit, the passion, the risks those early zookeepers took — it all revealed how AAZK didn’t just shape my family’s legacy, but helped transform the animal care profession. After years of filming with AAZK’s leaders and several incredible keepers around the country, I’m honored to finally share this story.