Vetinarian and Zoo question?

Question

Which job makes better money, and vet or a zoo keeper? if so, how much money?

And how long would you have to go to college for either?

Which one is more fun?

Are any of these a traveling carrer?

How many hours would I have to work for either of them?

Do you know any good colleges for either of these, and the location of the college?

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thank you.

Answer 1

to add to what everyone else has aready said---there are vets who specialize in zoo medicine.  so you could kind of do both.  Off of the top of my head NC state university has a good zoology and good vet school program.  Plus they have a zoo med residency training program after vet school  (very competative).  (also check out university of florida and UC Davis)  Anyways if you want more info on zoo vets:

aazv.org

aza.org

Answer 2

A vet definitely makes more money than a zookeeper. A zookeeper's pay is generally quite poor - I used to be a zookeeper and 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.

The most important thing for being a zookeeper is to gain experience with animals. Most zoos are more interested in this than in qualifications, and volunteering at a zoo or animal sanctuary is a good way of getting that experience. I used to be a zookeeper and got the job without any qualifications other than G.C.S.E.s. 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. For a vet, you will need to have A levels or higher.

To become a zookeeper you need to be able to work hard, not mind getting dirty (and I mean REALLY dirty!), and deal with people, in the shape of the public - this often requires a good deal of patience, as you will be asked the same question literally hundreds of times every day, and must always be polite however rude people are to you and however busy, tired and frustrated you are.

As to which job is more fun, that really depends on what you as a person like doing. One obvious downside of being a vet, which put me off it as a career, is having to put animals to sleep. This is of course for their own good, if they are suffering and nothing can be done to help them, but it's something any animal lover will find hard to deal with. On the upside, you get to cure sick and injured animals.

I should just point out that TV. shows about zoos paint a very unrealistic picture of what the job of being a zookeeper 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 must work outdoors in all seasons and weathers. 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.

Answer 3

vet makes more money, they are more specialized.  how much depends on experience.

a zookeeper needs a BS in most cases.  a vet would need a BS and 4 years of vet school.

Which is more fun depends on interest.  I would rather be a keeper and have personal relationship with an animal.  I know others would like to diagnose and possibly save the animals.  it is a personal preference.

Hours of work... dont know what you really mean here.  40+ hours a week for both of them though.  If an animal is injured or sick, they may come first and require more hours.

what school you go to isnt as important as experience.  work in the field as much as possible.

Answer 4

The above answers are good. I'll just add some college stuff.

For either field start getting some experience, the more the better. Either volunteer, intern, or work someplace that will give you experience with animals.

some degrees you might want to look into, for either pre-vet or zoo keeper, are:

Zoology, Mammalogy, or other sub field of zoology

Animal Science

Zoo Science/Technology

Animal/Exotic/Wildlife Management and/or Training

Ethology/Animal Behavior

Wildlife/Exotic/Zoo (biology, care, ecology, conservation, education, etc)

Biology, if possible Vertebrate Biology

Psychology/Animal Psychology

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/jobs/keeper_f...

What are some other ways to gain animal experience?

Some places to look for volunteer jobs or internships might be:

• Veterinary offices

• Animal training classes (does your dog need obedience training?)

• Local Humane Society

• Local Park Service

• Wildlife rehabilitation centers (like for wolves, bears, big cats, birds of prey, and even bats)

• Animal shelters

• Farms (for domestic animals, or even ostrich, llama, or butterfly farms)

• Pet breeders (those that breed specific kinds of dogs, cats, or horses)

• Horse stables and boarding facilities

• 4-H Clubs

Zookeeper:

http://www.wonderferret.com/zooed/

http://www.moorparkcollege.edu/current_s...

http://animalscience.calpoly.edu/areas_o...

http://www.moorparkcollege.edu/current_s...

http://www.thefutureschannel.com/dockets...

http://www.amazon.com/Kicked-Bitten-Scra...

Veterinarian: depending on what kind of vet you want to be, there is probably a vet school with a program or teaching hospital that is geared towards that vet field

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 5

Which job makes better money, and vet or a zoo keeper? if so, how much money?

       - Neither job should be done for the money.  The veterinarian probably gets paid more but not well (compared to MDs)  Avg vet salary (60,000-80,000)

And how long would you have to go to college for either?

   Zoo keeper usually have a 4 year degree, Vet school is another 4 years on top of that and if you want to be a zoo vet its another 4 years (internship and residency)

Which one is more fun?

    I would say both are equally fun, if you like animals

Are any of these a traveling career?

    Yes, a vet can travel the world do anything bascially, Both CAN do a lot of field work and research.  Some stay based at there zoo/clinic.  It's up to you and how motivated you are

How many hours would I have to work for either of them?

  A vet works about 60 hours a week, with on call (a zoo vet or most others)  I would assume a zoo keepers hours are less on paper, but probably the same hours

Do you know any good colleges for either of these, and the location of the college?

   North caroline has a good zoo veterinary program and others not sure exactly which ones.  But most of the veterinary medicine program will offer a good basis and then you need to fight for a good residency and jobs in zoo medicine are scarce.  

  Most likely for undergrad you would want to do zoology and get into research, which can help you in the long run.

Good luck

Answer 6

definataly a vet the vet crures sick animals so i see big money in that but seeing poor animals makes me sad