Malaysia-born Fabian Tan came to the United States from Singapore in 1998 to study journalism at the University of Iowa, but four years later, his childhood love for animals resurfaced when he came face to face with an owl from the Blank Park Zoo at a college career fair. That summer, he took a job as an intern at the zoo, which led to a full-time job there in 2002 as an education specialist.

Why did you leave Singapore to attend college in the United States?

Singapore is a very good place to grow up. However, the education system is very competitive. In all of Singapore, there are only two universities for about 3 million people, so it’s very competitive. Only the top of the class gets to go in. I was a goofy kid growing up, and my grades weren’t that great. But looking at different options for college actually ended up being a blessing in disguise.

How did you end up choosing the University of Iowa?

I was looking for a place that was safe and was strong in the program that I wanted to do. At that time, it was English and journalism. The school had a very strong journalism program and was also affordable. I actually graduated with an English and communications degree. As I learned a little more about the journalism degree, I found that it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.

Were you always interested in animals?

I’ve always loved animals, ever since I was a little kid. I would rather watch a polar bear walking across the TV screen with a commentator giving facts about the animal than watching kids’ shows like “Barney.” I just soaked up any information I could about animals when I was a little kid. When I grew up, I kind of forgot about it in the midst of pursuing different things.

What brought you to the Blank Park Zoo?

One day, just prior to graduation, I walking around a career fair looking for a job, and as I was leaving, I saw this owl. The owl was brought by two specialists at that time to recruit summer interns. I had a teaching background in Singapore, and when I found out there was a job where I could teach and work with animals, both things that I enjoyed, I was extremely excited to get started. I loved it when I interned in the summer of 2001. I found that I was fairly equipped to impart knowledge to the little ones, and things just clicked.

What does your job entail?

I work with all age groups. I’ve done programs for 16-month-olds and their parents on up to eighth- and 12th-graders and some college kids, too. Our work is year-round; in the summer months, we focus more on on-ground camps. We also do lots of outreach programs where we take animals to places such as schools, libraries, meetings and senior homes. We are really busy with that from September to April. We will travel as far as Centerville and Fort Dodge for our outreach.

Do you like having that variety in your job?

Sometimes I do. It’s nice to be able to reach so many people. On an average year, about 40,000 people will have gone through an education program with us.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I like it when the kids are initially afraid of the animals and you help them counter their fears. You help them figure out that this snake is not going to hurt them. When they figure that out, their eyes actually light up. They have these “aha” moments, and that never gets old. That’s always rewarding. You can drive 80 miles and you’re tired as heck when you get there, but the kids are great and you have a blast with them and you leave something with them.

What do you do when you have a snake in your hand and the kids are screaming and afraid of it?

It’s my belief that all types of fears are learned. Oftentimes when I take out a snake or a creature that might evoke some sensitivity, I prepare the kids by saying, “Hey, this next creature has no legs or arms. It slithers around. What do you think it’s going to be?” When you create such a fun atmosphere and they’re all excited about seeing it, they don’t get freaked out. If their parents scream, I try not to pay attention to them.

Does it surprise you how many adults are afraid of snakes?

I was afraid of snakes when I started this job. But now they’re my favorite education animal to work with. Our ball pythons, which are about 3 ½ to 4 feet long, are very predictable creatures and very calm. They are very easy to handle, yet they have this “wow” factor.

Do you see yourself working at Blank Park Zoo for a while?

I like the small, intimate size of this zoo. I like that when kids come in I know their names. I like to see them growing up from the time they’re 3-year-olds and then seeing them when I go into the schools. My job description may change down the road so that I would be on the planning side and training adults to work with the kids.

What has it been like to work at the zoo since Terry Rich became CEO in late 2003?

There have been a lot of improvements in the past year and a half. It was status quo for quite a while, but people know more about the zoo now. It’s been marketed better, and lots of different programs have been developed to reach different age groups. There’s been new life injected into it.