How do i bnecome a zoo keeper?

Question

I want to be a zoo keeper or handler at a zoo, but how do i do that? I am doing a psyc major for undergrade, and would like to do animal behavior in grad school...

Answer 1

call your local zoo and they will steer you in the right direction. they can tell you all the information and qualifications that you will need to have in order to become a zoo keeper and animal handler. they take interns and volunteers. good luck.

Answer 2

I used to be a zookeeper, and 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. However, having experience with animals will definitely help, so volunteering at a zoo or animal sanctuary is a good idea.

I would just point out that in general the salary of a zookeeper is 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.

The work is physically very hard, and you will be dealing 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.). Also, you 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.

Answer 3

Try to intern and volunteer now as much as possible. This will give you an idea of what types of jobs there are at a zoo, and the different paths to get there. Majors like biology, vet tech, zoology can be helpful, but there are really a great many ways to reach any given career. There are surely excellent books written on various careers with zoo/exotic animals. You need to decide/figure out what aspect of being a "zoo keeper" you are interested in - is it studying animal behavior, conservation, outreach, medical care, habitat/exhibit design??

Good luck!