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Overview

As a Zoo Arcadia employee, you play a crucial role in daily animal care and visitor experience management. This guide covers your primary responsibilities: recording animal feedings, moderating visitor testimonials, and updating service information.

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Employee Dashboard

Your dashboard at /home/pages/start provides quick access to:
  • Recent feeding logs you’ve created
  • Pending testimonials requiring moderation
  • Service update notifications
  • Contact form submissions from visitors
  • Your recent activity summary
Start each shift by checking your dashboard to see pending tasks and recent updates.

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Managing Feeding Logs

Accurate feeding records are essential for animal health monitoring and veterinary care.

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Viewing All Feeding Logs

Navigate to /animals/feeding/start to see all feeding records:
  • Animal name and species
  • Food type provided
  • Quantity (in grams)
  • Feeding date and time
  • Employee who performed the feeding

Filter by Animal

Click on an animal to view its complete feeding history.

Recent Feedings

Sort by date to see the most recent feedings first.

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Recording Animal Feedings

Every time you feed an animal, create a feeding log entry.
1

Access Feeding Log Creation

Go to /animals/feeding/create or click “Record Feeding” from the dashboard.
2

Select the Animal

Choose which animal you fed from the dropdown list. Animals are organized by name.
3

Choose Food Type

Select the type of food provided:
  • Meat: For carnivores
  • Fruit: For frugivores and some omnivores
  • Legumes: For herbivores
  • Insect: For insectivores and some omnivores
4

Enter Quantity

Record the amount of food in grams. Be accurate - this data is used by veterinarians to monitor animal health.
5

Set Feeding Date

Enter the date of feeding. This defaults to today but can be changed if you’re recording a past feeding.
6

Submit

Click Save. The log is automatically attributed to your user account.
The quantity must be a positive number greater than 0. The system validates this to ensure data accuracy.

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Viewing Feeding History by Animal

To see all feedings for a specific animal:
  1. Go to /animals/feeding/start
  2. Click on the animal’s name
  3. View complete feeding history at /animals/feeding/view?animal_id={id}
This view shows:
  • All feeding records chronologically
  • Total food provided over time
  • Last feeding date and details
  • Feeding pattern analysis

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Deleting Feeding Logs

If you recorded a feeding in error:
  1. Navigate to the feeding log list
  2. Click “Delete” next to the incorrect entry
  3. Confirm deletion
Only delete feeding logs that were recorded by mistake. Accurate records are essential for veterinary care.

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Moderating Testimonials

Visitors can submit testimonials through the public website. As an employee, you review and moderate these submissions before they appear publicly.

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Accessing Testimonial Management

Navigate to /testimonials/gest/start to see all testimonials:
  • Pending (awaiting moderation)
  • Validated (approved and visible to public)
  • Rejected (not approved for publication)
Use the status filter at the top to view only pending testimonials that need your attention.

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Validating Testimonials

To approve a testimonial for public display:
1

Review Content

Read the testimonial carefully:
  • Check for appropriate language
  • Verify the content is relevant to the zoo
  • Ensure there’s no spam or promotional content
  • Confirm the rating (1-5 stars) matches the message tone
2

Click Validate

If the testimonial is appropriate, click the “Validate” button.
3

Confirmation

The testimonial status changes to “Validated” and it becomes visible on the public website.

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Rejecting Testimonials

Reject testimonials that contain:
  • Inappropriate language or content
  • Spam or advertising
  • Off-topic comments
  • Fake or obviously fraudulent reviews
1

Review the Testimonial

Verify it doesn’t meet publication standards.
2

Click Reject

Click the “Reject” button to mark it as not approved.
3

Status Update

The testimonial is marked as rejected and will not appear publicly.
Both validation and rejection actions are logged with your user ID and timestamp for accountability.

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Editing Testimonials Before Validation

If a testimonial has minor issues (typos, formatting) but is otherwise good:
1

Click Edit

Access /testimonials/gest/edit?id={testimonial_id}.
2

Modify Content

You can edit:
  • Pseudonym (visitor’s name)
  • Message text
  • Rating (1-5 stars)
3

Validate After Editing (Optional)

Check the “Validate after edit” checkbox to approve the testimonial immediately after saving your changes.
4

Save

Submit the form to update the testimonial.
Use editing to fix minor typos or format issues in otherwise good testimonials. Don’t make substantial changes to the visitor’s message.

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Deleting Testimonials

To permanently remove a testimonial:
  1. From the testimonial list, click “Delete”
  2. Confirm the deletion
  3. The testimonial is permanently removed from the database
Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. Consider rejecting instead of deleting unless the testimonial is spam or violates terms of service.

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Testimonial Statistics

The testimonial dashboard shows:
  • Total testimonials: All submissions received
  • Pending: Awaiting moderation
  • Validated: Approved and public
  • Rejected: Not approved
  • Average rating: Overall visitor satisfaction score

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Updating Service Information

Depending on your permissions, you may be able to update zoo service information.

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Viewing Services

Navigate to /cms/gest/start to see all zoo services:
  • Service name
  • Description
  • Type (category)
  • Featured status
  • Associated images

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Editing Service Details

If you have edit permissions:
1

Select Service

Click “Edit” on the service you want to update.
2

Update Information

Modify:
  • Service title
  • Description
  • Link (URL for more information)
  • Type/category
3

Update Images (Optional)

Upload new images if the service offering has changed:
  • Mobile image
  • Tablet image
  • Desktop image
4

Save Changes

Submit the form. All changes are logged with your user ID.
Service updates are logged in the system. Administrators can view a complete history of changes at /cms/gest/logs.

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Daily Operational Tasks

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Morning Routine

1

Check Dashboard

Review pending tasks and overnight activity.
2

Review Feeding Schedule

Check which animals need to be fed and their nutrition plans.
3

Check Testimonials

Moderate any new testimonials submitted overnight.

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During Operating Hours

1

Record Feedings

Log each feeding immediately after completion while details are fresh.
2

Monitor Testimonials

Check periodically for new submissions and moderate them promptly.
3

Respond to Contact Forms

If you have access, review and respond to visitor inquiries.

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End of Day

1

Verify All Feedings Recorded

Ensure all animals fed today have logged entries.
2

Clear Pending Testimonials

Moderate any remaining pending testimonials.
3

Note Any Issues

Report any animal health concerns or facility issues to administrators.

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Best Practices

Immediate Logging

Record feedings immediately after completion to ensure accuracy and prevent forgetting details.

Accurate Quantities

Use scales to measure food quantities precisely. Estimates can affect veterinary care decisions.

Fair Moderation

Moderate testimonials objectively. Approve both positive and constructive feedback that follows guidelines.

Timely Responses

Moderate testimonials within 24 hours of submission to show visitors their feedback is valued.

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Coordinating with Other Roles

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Working with Veterinarians

  • Feeding Logs: Veterinarians review your feeding logs to monitor animal nutrition
  • Health Concerns: Report any unusual eating behavior or animal health observations
  • Nutrition Changes: Implement new feeding plans documented in health reports

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Working with Administrators

  • Permission Issues: Contact admins if you can’t access needed features
  • Animal Updates: Request animal information updates if you notice discrepancies
  • Technical Problems: Report system issues or bugs

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Troubleshooting

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Cannot Record Feeding

Issue: The feeding log form won’t submit. Solutions:
  1. Verify all required fields are filled:
    • Animal selected
    • Food type chosen
    • Quantity entered (must be > 0)
    • Date provided
  2. Check that you’re logged in (session active)
  3. Ensure you have animal_feeding-assign permission

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Animal Not in Dropdown

Issue: The animal you fed isn’t in the list. Solutions:
  1. Refresh the page to reload the animal list
  2. Check if the animal name is spelled differently than expected
  3. Contact an administrator - the animal may not be in the system yet

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Testimonial Won’t Validate

Issue: Click validate but the testimonial stays pending. Solutions:
  1. Refresh the page and try again
  2. Check that you have Employee or Admin role
  3. Verify you’re logged in
  4. Contact technical support if the issue persists

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Permission Denied Error

Issue: You get “Permission Denied” when trying to access a feature. Solutions:
  1. Verify your account has the Employee role
  2. Contact an administrator to check your specific permissions
  3. Ensure your account is active (not deactivated)

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Mobile Access

The system is mobile-responsive. You can record feedings from a tablet or smartphone while working in animal habitats.
Mobile tips:
  • Bookmark /animals/feeding/create for quick access
  • Use your device’s camera to photograph feeding if needed (for reference)
  • The interface adapts to smaller screens automatically

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Security Reminders

  • Log out when leaving a shared workstation
  • Never share your login credentials
  • Report suspicious activity immediately
  • Ensure feeding logs are accurate - they affect animal health decisions

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Getting Help

If you need assistance:
  1. Technical Issues: Contact your administrator
  2. Training: Ask for refresher training if you’re unsure about procedures
  3. Animal Health Concerns: Immediately contact the veterinary team
  4. Emergency: Follow zoo emergency protocols (not a system function)

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Quick Reference

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Common URLs

  • Dashboard: /home/pages/start
  • Record Feeding: /animals/feeding/create
  • View Feedings: /animals/feeding/start
  • Moderate Testimonials: /testimonials/gest/start
  • Service Management: /cms/gest/start

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Food Types

  • Meat: Carnivores (lions, tigers, etc.)
  • Fruit: Frugivores (monkeys, parrots, etc.)
  • Legumes: Herbivores (elephants, giraffes, etc.)
  • Insect: Insectivores (meerkats, some birds, etc.)

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Testimonial Moderation Guidelines

Approve if:
  • Content is relevant to zoo experience
  • Language is appropriate
  • Rating matches message sentiment
  • No spam or promotional content
Reject if:
  • Inappropriate language
  • Spam or advertising
  • Off-topic
  • Obviously fake
Edit then approve if:
  • Minor typos or formatting issues
  • Small corrections needed
  • Message is otherwise appropriate

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