CALL OF THE WILD\Students revel in care of rare animals.

Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer

Former zoo keeper Brad Lympany remembers what it was like on the job at the Akron Zoo in Ohio, where he trained river otters, prairie dogs and ferrets.

"I looked at what I was doing one day and thought, 'I could do this forever,' " said Lympany, 23, who started working as a zoo keeper at 15. "I could never handle working in an office."

Now a student at the Training Zoo at Moorpark College, Lympany is learning how to care for exotic animals, including endangered panthers and a 30-pound boa constrictor. During his second year of studies, he will handle a South American kinkajou - the oldest living nocturnal mammal of its kind in captivity.

"When I first came here, I saw a trainer walking a tiger around the grounds," said Lympany, who drove cross country to be one of the 50 students chosen to participate in the program each year. "All I could think was, 'Wow ' "

Lympany is one of 85 students attending Moorpark College's Exotic Animal Training and Management Program (EATM), an intensive course of study that teaches students all facets of tending and training animals.

Lympany heard about the program while he was working at the Akron Zoo. After applying, he was placed on a list of eight alternates - Lympany being the last on the list.

After several students dropped out, Lympany was offered a spot in the class in August. He was given three weeks to quit his job, pack, find a new place to live and somehow come up with $2,000 out-of-state tuition for the first semester.

"It was really hard," Lympany admits. "But after the first day of orientation, I knew why I was here."

Classes range from "Animal Behavior" and "Animal Nutrition" to "Elementary Veterinary Procedures" and "Zoo Horticulture."

Students are assigned specific animals to care for during the course of the year, and perform internships at the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara zoos.

When prospective students apply for the program, they are required to sign a statement acknowledging that they understand the requirements of the year-round course, which include spending the entire night at the animal compound on a regular basis, assisting with cleaning the facility seven days a week, and working on major holidays.

Julie Hersk said the biggest sacrifice she had to make by entering the program was giving up her time.

"It's very demanding," said Hersk, 26, who is now in her second year of study. "I don't have any time. . . . I'm here every day, weekends, holidays. But I graduate in five months. It was worth it."

Hersk found out about the program in San Francisco, after graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, with a double major in molecular cell biology and anthropology. She hopes to someday be a veterinarian, caring specifically for exotic animals.

"Dogs and cats are not as challenging," Hersk pointed out.

EATM has had as many as 1,200 applicants in one year, and typically receives 500 to 600 a year. From the applications, 100 are chosen for oral interviews, and half are selected for the program.

Established as a major at Moorpark College in 1974, EATM not only teaches students animal-training and modern zoo-keeping techniques including nutrition, restraint and veterinary procedures, it also shows students how to present educational shows utilizing animals.

Animal-training procedures taught at the school range from techniques applicable to confined zoo animals, to methods used in the movie industry. Courses in public relations and the planning and administration of animal parks are also offered.

Mara Rodriguez, education coordinator, said the program is successful because it gives both students and the public a broader perspective on endangered wildlife.

"It's to educate the public and give them a more unique view of wild animals," Rodriguez said.

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Photo (1--ran in SAC, SIMI, AV and CONEJO editions--color in SIMI and CONEJO only) Zoo-training student Robin Sumner, 22, shows a red tail boa to a child who has just attended an exotic animal show at Moorpark College. (2--ran in AV and CONEJO only) Brenda Cable, 22, holds a tortoise; Phillip DeBlieck, 31, displays an albino king snake; Brandy Collier, 19, smiles at a Savannah monitor, and Robin Sumner, 22, holds a red tail boa. Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News