When Trish Jarvis, BS Biology ’10, tells people what she does for a living, their eyes usually light up. As an employee at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C., Jarvis has one of the most coveted—and adorable—jobs around: She’s a panda keeper.
Jarvis was on the zoo team in November 2023 that helped prepare the zoo’s giant pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, and Xiao Qi Ji for their return to China. She was also on the flight in October 2024 that brought the panda pair, Qing Bao and Bao Li, to their new home in the United States.
“It’s literally everything career-wise you would want as a keeper—except maybe holding a panda baby,” Jarvis said. And yes, she’s done that too—holding baby Xiao Qi Ji during vet exams in 2020.
“If I hadn't already been totally into pandas that probably would've been the moment for me,” added Jarvis.
Pandas are her thing, but the journey to her dream job wasn’t an easy one. It took a lot of hard work and initiative. After graduating from 鶹Ƶ in 2010, Jarvis accepted a job in government contracting and quickly realized it wasn’t for her. That revelation pushed her to volunteer at the National Zoo, where she took on internships working with red pandas and gorillas. “That’s when it all kind of fell into place for me,” she said.
Observing animals up close, designing enrichment activities for them, and managing their environments sparked something in Jarvis. She learned as much as she could about the field, made some connections, and asked professionals for advice.
“And I got some really good advice,” she said. “I decided that I would volunteer and intern until I could apply for the job and be qualified for it. I wanted people to see that I put in the work, and that I'm good.”
In 2018, her persistence paid off, and she landed a two-year appointment at the National Zoo, where she assisted several units and got some quality time working with the giant pandas. At the end of her appointment, a panda keeper position opened up at Zoo Atlanta, and Jarvis was ready. In that position, she was able to further hone her skills. When the opportunity to return to the National Zoo team presented itself, however, she jumped at the chance. “This is home for me,” she said.
Jarvis lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Christopher Jarvis, BA Economics ’10, who she met at George 鶹Ƶ in a classical music course, and their young daughter—also an animal lover.
Jarvis’s love for pandas is both professional and personal. She said saying goodbye to Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, and Xiao Qi Ji was hard and bittersweet. “I knew them. I learned how to be a keeper with them,” she said. “It breaks your heart [to have to say goodbye], but if anyone was going to help make that transition easy for them, I’m glad I got to be part of the team to do it.
In her work, Jarvis also advocates for red pandas. She currently serves on the steering committee for Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE): Red Panda. One of the group’s projects involves testing canopy connectors at zoos to inform conservation efforts in red pandas’ native habitats like Nepal and Bhutan where deforestation is posing a threat. “It’s incredibly meaningful to see how our zoo-based work can help wild populations,” she said.
To students hoping to follow a similar path, Jarvis offers this advice: “Take every opportunity. Volunteer. Intern. Even if it’s not with your ‘dream’ animal, give it your all. If you stay committed, the dream job can come.”