VALDOSTA STATE MAGAZINE 67 Royal is often the face of the zoo, answering questions from visitors as they explore the exhibits and walking them through animal feedings. She is a wealth of knowledge on all the animals she cares for and loves to share what she knows with the curious public. When she talks about David the eastern indigo snake, with his iridescent black scales that shine in the sun, she shares that he is the largest non-venomous snake in North America and also one of the most endangered species in the Southeast United States. The meerkats, which stick together in a “mob,” can withstand six times the venom of a normal mammal, she said. Bindi the panther chameleon was rescued from the illegal pet trade, and Dubyah the rhino, a species that is widely poached for its horn, is critically endangered in the wild. Royal is passionate about animal conservation and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in conservation biology at Miami University at Ohio. Through the program, she visited Belize last summer to assist with conservation efforts and to conduct research in the field. “I think that we owe it to animals to be able to take care of them because we’re currently in the sixth mass extinction, and it’s the first mass extinction that’s entirely caused by one species — humans, homo sapiens,” she said. “These animals are just innocent bystanders, so I feel like we owe it to these incredible animals just to pay it back to them, to take care of them, to provide for them, and to restore their habitats.” Royal credits VSU not only with giving her the scientific knowledge and training to launch her career but also with helping her to find herself. “VSU is always going to hold a really special place in my heart,” she said. “I really came into my own while I was there. Growing up, I was super shy, but when I was at VSU, I found this great group of women. Then we went by Women of Diversity. It was an interest group to start the first multicultural sorority at VSU. Before I graduated, we successfully founded the very first multicultural sorority at VSU, Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority Inc. They’re still there and active. “If it wasn’t for that group of women having my back and supporting me, I don’t know where I’d be. The friendships that I’ve made at VSU are really incredible.”