Tom Granberry

Tom Granberry is the Area Manager for Marine Mammals at the Indianapolis Zoo where he oversees the care and training of the zoo’s sea lions, seals, and walrus. Tom’s favorite part of his job is the variety, as there are always new things to train, new opportunities to engage guests and new things to learn. With good training techniques, Tom and his staff can work with the animals to complete medical exams with little to no stress on the animals or veterinarians.

Tom grew up in St. Louis where he was always interested in working with animals. His grandfather was involved with the local zoo which led Tom to get his first job working at the St. Louis Zoo with several different species including birds, cats, primates, bears, and sea lions. His first job at the St. Louis Zoo was as a show attendant. Tom later worked as a sea lion trainer assistant before working for the zoo full time as a plains keeper in 1986 before moving to the elephant department. In 1988, Tom moved to the Indianapolis Zoo where he has always been a part of the Marine Mammal Team but has also worked with the zoo’s Encounters staff, Forest staff, and Oceans staff. Tom received a degree in Agriculture from the University of Missouri in 1987, and he served on the Board of Directors for the International Marine Animal Trainer’s Association (IMATA) from 1998-2000.