Anybody working in a zoo?

Question

It seems like my dream job. What is your job description and do you enjoy it? how much do you get paid?

Answer 1

I used to be a zookeeper, and I must point out that TV. shows about zoos paint a very unrealistic picture of what the job entails, making it appear that things like hand-rearing baby animals and knocking animals out for medical procedures happen every day. In reality, these things happen only rarely. The work is physically very hard, and you deal with people, in the shape of the public, as much as with animals. Indeed, there is often little interaction with the animals you care for - the majority of the job is cleaning (picking up faeces, sweeping up straw, window cleaning, etc.). You also often do not have a choice as to which animals you work with - most zoos will simply take you on as a keeper and place you where you are needed, though you can request to work with certain animals if and when a position with them becomes available.

A zookeeper's pay is generally quite poor - I earned minimum wage. Many people want to work with animals, so they don't need to tempt workers with high pay. The hours are long and you may not be paid for any overtime worked - in the zoo I worked at, you were paid only between 8am and 5pm, even if you arrived at 6.30am and didn't leave til 7pm. You are also required to work weekends and public holidays without additional pay. It is definitely not a job you do for the money.

However, if you are prepared to work hard, get your hands dirty (and I mean REALLY dirty!), be asked the same question fifteen hundred times a day and so on, it can be very rewarding and enjoyable.

It can be quite difficult to get a job as a zookeeper as many people will apply for each position. Bear in mind that most zoos are more interested in experience with animals and the ability to work hard than in qualifications - I got the job without any qualifications other than GCSEs. Having higher qualifications is no guarantee of getting the job (my boss told me he's had people come in with degrees who didn't know which end an elephant craps out of!), and not having them is no guarantee you won't get the job. Volunteering at a zoo or animal sanctuary is a good way of gaining experience.

Answer 2

I too worked as a zookeeper for a couple years and while on a veterinary rotation, I worked in every area at one of the major zoos in Kansas. Like the person before me said it is incredibly hard, tedious, repetitive labor. And is quite the labor of love ... not much pay for lots of work. In both the zoo I worked at for a year and the one I had my rotation at they basically required a higher degree. I was accepted the position as part-time while I was in college but was more the exception than the rule. Both took experience over anything. The one I worked at for the longer period was a private zoo and I did much more working and handling of the animals then the larger public zoo. In the larger public zoos your are constantly in the public's eye and have to always keep that in mind. You must be able to knowledgeably answer questions about lots of things and be able to have GREAT people skills. I would recommend trying to get a job volunteering at a zoo and going to this website to learn more ... www.aza.org