Whiffs of gunpowder, rhino poo: Our day-in-the-life reporter takes you behind the scenes

As a public service reporter, I've shadowed first responders, public figures, prosecutors and others of note to give you a look at what they do for the community on a daily basis.

The latest installment in my "Day in the life" series meant a trip to the zoo like none I've ever had before for a close-up look at Abilene's zookeepers.

Throughout my day at the Abilene Zoo, I completed a variety of tasks, including helping shovel about 200 pounds of rhinoceros poo.

It was grueling and smelly work that had to be completed while the black male rhinoceros happily enjoyed his breakfast in an adjoining enclosure.

I even helped scrubbed out the flamingo pond, a task which is done once every two weeks to keep down that swampy smell.

My arms were definitely sore at the end of the day, and I think I smelled like a fellow zoo animal by the end of it.

But I really loved feeding the sloths. The two sloths were a matched pair, and they barely woke up for a snack of sweet potato.

Another highlight was feeding carrots to mother giraffe Jamie after zoo staff members checked on her new baby. The mama's purple tongue curled around my entire fist to get the carrots.

I logged about 25,000 steps that day as we crisscrossed the expansive zoo grounds multiple times. Zookeeping is certainly not for the faint of heart.

The Reporter-News has featured everyone from law enforcement officers to firefighters to ministry workers in my continuing series, "A day in the life."

Researching each installment of the "Day in the life" series is a vastly different experience from the next.

When I shadowed the Abilene SWAT team, I shot sniper rifles and completed up-close firearms training. I completed the close-up training exercise in about 15 seconds when members of the team completed it in 4-7 seconds flat.

I loved using the sniper rifle. The best part was hearing the ting as I struck a metal gong hanging about 300 meters out in the field.

I left with the smell of gunpowder permeating my clothes and hair — in addition to bruises where the guns had kicked back into my shoulder when firing.

I only saw a small portion of what it takes to make the SWAT team, whose members are always poised for danger. The story and others are available online at www.reporternews.com.

Where will I go next? The possibilities are endless.

Here's where I've been:

• Taylor County sheriff's deputies Sarah Steele and Ryan Culpepper served an evening shift protecting Taylor County and its residents. In pictures: photo gallery.

• Assistant District Attorney Erin Stamey is known for closing the deal on some of Abilene's most controversial cold cases. In pictures: photo gallery.

• Abilene police officer Kimberly Salazar had her work cut out for her on a Friday night with calls ranging from an overdose to disturbances to traffic stops, and everything in between. In pictures: photo gallery.

• Taylor County corrections officer Adam Darnall at the Taylor County Jail is among the community's unsung heroes who deal with every aspect of the jail. In pictures: photo gallery.

• This Abilene Fire Department four-man crew witnessed several medical emergency calls as they fulfilled their call to go above and beyond. In pictures: photo gallery.

• Taylor County District Attorney's Office Investigator Tommy Pope comforts victims' families and guides them through the trial process, as well as preparing for trials and the range of possibilities that go with them. In pictures: photo gallery.

• Abilene's Love and Care Ministries Founder Mark Hewitt never set out to run a homeless ministry. He did, however, answer the calling to feed and care for those in need. In pictures: photo gallery.

• The Abilene Police Department's own elite SWAT team members undergo weekly extensive training and are on call 24 hours a day. They represent the best that APD has to offer. In pictures and video.

• Zookeepers at the Abilene Zoo Abilene's zookeepers walk an average of 25,000 steps a day. Come see what a day in their life is like. In pictures and video.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: "A day in the life" series