#zookeeping

[thedisablednaturalist]

God I hope that environmentalists, conservationists, zookeepers, etc. can figure out a way to unionize. I have no clue how a strike would work bc that would lead to our life's work being destroyed. If we stopped protecting these animals, ecosystems, etc. they would die. But it's horrible that getting a paid job is so freaking difficult bc you have to volunteer first, many positions require at least a college degree, and then when you finally get the job you're paid squat. Zookeepers usually have at the very least a bachelor's, most have doctorates. And get paid bupkis. But if we try to fight for higher wages we are called selfish and we are taking already limited resources away from those who need it most. Accredited zoos have to make difficult decisions to protect endangered species all the time, such as the Copenhagen Zoo deciding to put down a genetically invaluable Giraffe in order to make space for others.

I was able to ask one of the previous directors of the national zoo, "what is being done to insure fair wages for zookeepers, and expand opportunities to those who do not have the resources to volunteer?" I think I surprised her, but she said they were having workgroups and meetings on that issue. I believe that the national zoo has recently opened internships specifically for those with little experience, especially people of color, so that they can get training that will help them break into the field. I think they are paid but I'm not sure.

I don't think it's selfish for us to want to be able to afford rent, food, maybe a vacation once in a while too. We need to take care of ourselves so we can take care of our earth the best we can.

#conservation #environmentalism #environmental science #zookeeping #conservationists #aquarists #aquariums #zoos #this is mostly a rant if anyone needs specific info lmk #unions

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Weird question but do you think its possible to become a zookeeper without a degree? I'm 29 and don't have the time, energy, or money to go back to college and fear I've missed my chance at my dream career. I'm not sure how to get experience or what I could possibly do to help my resume.

It’s definitely possible! Not super common, but possible - and much more so than it would have been a couple of years ago.

When I was in college (early 2010s) and wanting to enter the field, there was a pretty clear pipeline: four year degree, unpaid summer internships, then apply for a part-time or temp position somewhere, and volunteer somewhere until you get a first job. This is still somewhat of the way it’s done at bigger AZA facilities.

But, interestingly enough, things are changing. There’s two things really driving that. The first is the massive push for increased DEAI efforts in the zoo industry. After the big commitments AZA and many individual zoos made during the BLM protests in 2020, one of the big conversations that started was how inequitable zoo hiring and especially internship programs are. Requiring four years degrees and large amounts of unpaid labor before getting a job - and paying poverty wages once someone gets that job - biases success entering and staying in the zoo field towards people with generational wealth. I honestly didn’t think the advocacy that stemmed from those discussions would do much, and I’ve been very pleasantly surprised to see that I was wrong! There’s a been a lot of real movement towards creating paid internships and making hiring requirements more equitable. It isn’t happening everywhere, but I know it’s becoming more and more common (and last year there was a ton of presentations about this on the AZA annual meeting schedule, which is a huge deal). The other thing that’s happening is less formal, but equally fascinating. I’ve been present for a lot of discussions about how there’s a disconnect between what zoos are hiring for (formal education, complex resumes) and what skills the job actually requires. It seems like it’s easier to train people to work with animals and learn their behavior than it is to teach people practical skills like how to do manual labor without hurting themselves and operate heavy machinery. I’ve seen some discussions of how some of their most successful new staff have come from adjacent industries or even just other “blue-collar” jobs that involve similar types of work, regardless of what their academic background is. Which is great! Because that adds to equity and diversity of staff across the industry.

To start off the rest of my answer, there has to be a disclaimer that I’m not in hiring, so I can’t say for sure what will get you a job (and while I’ve volunteered and interned, I have never been formally hired as staff by a zoological facility). So my advice for the rest of this comes from watching and listening to a whole ton of industry folk for the past decade or so, and from what I’ve seen my friends do that’s been successful to get jobs in the field.

In terms of experience, the best thing you can do - and I hate to say this, because it does require a level of privilege to be able to do - is volunteer somewhere. It doesn’t have to be at a zoo. Anything that will give you some animal experience for a resume and references will be valuable: shelters, vet offices, riding barns, farms, even 4H. You need to be able to demonstrate that you’ve worked around a variety of species (even if they’re all domestic) and have people who can speak to the fact that you’re diligent, attentive to detail, and have common sense about things like safety protocols. If you can’t volunteer, try to find a job in any of these areas with similar skills. Or where you can learn them! Say you can’t get an animal care job, but you’re good at phones and people - you could get a desk job at an animal shelter, and help out with cleaning and animal enrichment when possible. Boom! Experience!

It’s also important to learn how to shape your current job experience to an application, which is something I can talk more about and maybe pull in advice from folk actually in hiring for. There’s a ton that can be applicable to animal jobs. Office work? You can probably speak to experience with proprietary software systems and record-keeping (which is a bigger deal than you’d think). Construction / landscaping / similar physical labor jobs? You know how to work hard in a range of weather conditions, keep a project on spec, have experience with complex project planning, and probably know a thing or two about basic safety stuff (don’t store heavy things above your head, lift with your legs, etc). You’re basically looking to communicate “I haven’t worked in this field, but here’s all the skills I have that will translate to this job.”

Realistically, if you’re coming in without a degree or a ton of animal experience, you’re much more likely to be able to get a job at smaller, non-AZA facilities to start (they might not even be zoos - there’s sanctuaries and petting zoos and all sorts of other professional animal care gigs). And this is fine and good! There’s lots of good ones out there. You can always use experience gained there to move up in the field, if it’s your dream to work at an AZA facility specifically. And a lot of people do that - you’ll hear some places talk about how they know they’re training zoos, because their staff get a foot in the door and then consistently leave for other facilities after a couple years. But there’s also a lot of reasons to stay with some of the smaller facilities. They’re often in areas with cheaper cost of living, and so a zookeeping salary will go farther. I’ve also seen that a lot of the smaller facilities - ones where like, staff know and interact with the zoo director frequently - tend to take better care of their staff. They may not be able to increase salary, but I’ve seen some of those facilities go the extra mile for their people in other ways when it’s possible. It’s a very different experience than being a small cog in the giant machines that are many AZA zoos. It’s the sort of thing you have to vet carefully, but when you find a small facility that really invests in it’s people, it can be very worthwhile.

You also have to think about the fact that you don’t have to start in zookeeping to get an animal care job! I’ve seen a lot of people start in education or in summer camp staff, and then use the relationship with the facility and their track record in those jobs to transition into animal care. Especially education, if you’ve got the skill-set, because you’re often working with ambassador animals or in collaboration with the teams that care for them. I’ve seen some people start in facilities or ground crew, too, but I think that’s less common. Getting your foot in the door somehow and building relationships is one of the biggest parts of getting a job in the field if you’re not following the traditional pipeline.

If you’re near enough to a smaller facility that you can visit regularly, do. Learn as much as you can about the zoo and what they do and what they’re involved in, to show that you’re interested and invested, and then go talk to someone there. Tell them exactly what you told me: this is a dream, and you’re really interested in their facility specifically, and you’re wondering what you should do to build a resume to apply for a job there. At worst, you’ll get some advice. At best, they might take a chance on you. I’ve heard of it happening. (The hardest part of this is, honestly, figuring out who to talk to - it’s not the sort of thing where you can just ask a keeper while they’re cleaning. But you can find opportunities, and then ask if there’s someone in management who might have time to answer a couple questions.)

So in short: yes. It’ll take some work and time, and probably some free labor, but it’s doable. More so now than any other time recently. Good luck!

#zookeeping #zoo industry #getting a zoo job #how to become a zookeeper #job advice

[phoenix-reburned]

Any zookeepers on this hellsite have any advice for people looking to get into the field? I should be graduating next summer and I want to be a zookeeper in the NYC area

#zoo #zoos #aza #association of zoos and aquariums #zookeeper #zookeeping

[rosalind2013]

Attention Zookeepers / Zoologists / Botanists / Ornithologists / Other Experts:

Could you please tell me of some trees that are completely safe for parrots? (Leaves, bark, fruit, etc. are okay for them to ingest) I have a 1.8m x 1.8m (6ft x 6ft) outdoor aviary for my cockatoo that we sit in when the weather is nice, and I’d love to put a potted live tree or two in there for her to perch on (and probably chew on, as parrots do). I live in a humid subtropical climate, so plants that do well in that type of climate are preferred, though I’m not against bringing them indoors for the winter if I need to.

I’d love pictures of the plants as well as the names if possible, so I can be sure I have the correct tree!

Pictures of the my sweet girl in the aviary for cuteness tax:

#zookeepers #zookeeper #ornithology #botany #exotic pets #parrotblr #zoology #zoologist #bird care #exotic animals #exotics care #parrot #parrot care #help please #I don’t know how to tell which type of tree is which #and Google is only getting me so far #botanist #ornithologist #zookeeping #enclosure design #zoo enclosure

[taysanimaladventures]

You've probably noticed this blog has been inactive.

It's because I am leaving the animal care industry. I only decided on this 100% as of yesterday, with a lot of flip flopping for months. I have not been happy with the industry for a long time. There are many things to say about why but the short version: I possibly developed CPTSD from it and my priorities in life have changed. I hate that it came to this. I really wanted to stay and make it work but for my own sanity I need to leave.

I will keep the blog up because cute animals. And if anyone is in the animal care field and feeling similar feelings, you are welcome to talk/yell to me about it. And I can still answer general animal questions but reminder I am not a vet.

I still love animals and will probably get my fix by volunteering.

Thank you all for following my adventures.

#zookeeping #tay talks

[cryptidanathema]

The two kinds of zoo guests: the people that get angry it's not a circus and the people that bitch that it "feels wrong to keep them in cages" even though they literally gave the "abusive" organization money to attend

#Zoos #Zookeeping #Animal welfare #Bitchpost

[neofeliis]

Happy early Halloween from my son ✌️

His name is Lemon Fork and he's 6 months old (he also put himself in the pumpkin and they all got to share it after).

#porcupine #zookeeping #work chronicles

[bakedbakermom]

sometimes i think i'm having a shitty afternoon but really i forgot about the hangries.

#hangry #the hangries #i must remember my anti-hangry cookies #they really do help #zookeeping

[bignosebaby]

what kind of hours do zoo workers have? how often do they get to reintroduce animals to the wild? do they get to work with international zoos and nature reserves? do they have to work with people a lot? how do they choose what plants go into the enclosures of animals that live in drastically different environments?

There are many different zoo workers including animal care specialists, veterinarians, guest guides, and support staff such as custodians and staff for the gift shops, food services, and ticket intake. And those are just the employees that work on site on a standard day, not including administrative work! In terms of animal care specialists, the standard working day is 8 hours but it can vary. Animal care specialists are very busy! A single animal care specialist will often be responsible for entire areas. For example, instead of being just a gorilla caretaker, one would be primate specialist for the African rainforest area which would have them dividing their time between the gorillas, mandrills, and colobus monkeys. On top of this, they will often assist in other departments as needed due to the unpredictable nature of zoo work. So standard full time hours, but early mornings would be common and some would be on call while off duty, especially vets.

Introducing animals to the wild is a long and slow process that necessitates collaboration between many people and organizations. The Calgary Zoo is also the Wilder Institute, the latter referring to the conservation and international affairs aspect of the institution. The Wilder Institute and organizations like it in other zoos do a lot of work involving the communities local to where their animals are indigenous to, to help protect these species in the wild. The Wilder Institute's community conservation project works to help develop symbiotic relationships between people and wildlife internationally to support long term sustainability. While the majority of animals in zoos cannot be released, when there is an animal that is determind to be able to thrive in the wild the institute will collaborate with communities and organizations local to the animals native region to set it up for the most successful reintroduction policy. So animal releases are not very frequent, but when they are done there is a lot of work done to ensure they are done right. Because the Calgary Zoo is in Canada, they mostly do wild release with species native to the area. They work with local wildlife rehab centers to help raise rescued infants (one of the endangered owls at the Calgary Zoo's Canadian Wilds exhibit is a prolific foster mother for chicks) and will house unreleasable animals such as nuisance bears to prevent them from being euthanized. We tend to think of zoos and sanctuaries as very different, but their work overlaps.

Every (credible) zoo works with many other zoos and nature reserves, acting as one branch of a series of massive conservation programs and initiatives. The Wilder Institute collaborates with a wide network of international bodies, and doing so is often a requirement for accreditation. Zoos as a whole are sort of a living Svalbard seed vault-- the species survival plan matches animals across zoos to find the best genetic and personality matches to allow animals to breed in captivity to create a population safety net for the species. This means that even if an animal goes extinct in the wild, there will be a diverse and healthy population in captivity that could potentially repopulate their native area. This is why I am such a big supporter of zoos! They do so much to prevent extinction on a global scale.

Working with people is a MASSIVE part of zoo work. Zoos have tons of employees and volunteers whose main jobs are answering questions and educating the public. The most important animal in sucessful conservation is humans, because we have the power to mobilize and save other species together. As such, zoos work with guests of all ages to raise awareness, foster appreciation and passion for wildlife, and raise money for their work and projects.

This is a great question which boils down to the basics: what does the species use the plants around it for? Obviously if you're furnishing an outdoor enclosure in Calgary the plants of the African rain forests aren't going to thrive. Additionally, since species are staying in the same areas, if they are hard on the plants they aren't going to grow back as well. As such, native flora that is sturdy and hearty works well, or fake trees that are specifically made to be climbed on can be a good substitute. Keepers may even put greens and foliage on wood structures to mimic tree foraging. Most plants are fair game as long as they are safe to ingest and add something to the habitat, meaning that once the practical concerns are met (safety, sturdiness, hardiness) aesthetic choices can be made.

Hope this answers all your questions! I took my time to make sure I was thorough.

#zoos #calgary zoo #wilder institute #primate care #animal welfare #zookeeper #zookeeping

[the-vegan-muser]

Did anyone order the poopoo platter? 💩

Two of the species I work with (golden-breasted starlings & violet-backed starlings) use elephant dung as a nesting material, so the elephant team is kind enough to save some for us every week once breeding season rolls around. 🐘

#me #zookeeper #zookeeping #birds #birblr

[jamesvin-varsity]

i left zookeeping for architecture because i became interested in how the built environment beyond the zoo could better serve local wildlife. how could we design our architecture, infrastructure and public spaces to work with natural environmental processes and build positive multispecies partnerships? how does the design of the building change when you consider the sparrow as your client? the coyote? the soil micro-arthropod?

this is obviously no new concept. cultures past and present have been living successfully with nature for millennia, but modernity has smothered much of the real human symbiosis within local ecosystems in favor of limitless growth and profit and oppression. take "sustainability", which in architecture often (though not always) results in renderings of luxury condominiums with Capitalism-Approved-Green photoshopped onto every balcony.

in my architecture studios i communicate through image. drawing. i try to separate myself from this lazy greenwashing aesthetic, researching local species assemblages to get my planting schemes somewhat accurate, considering hydrology on the site, considering local communities and how Something Green could drive up real-estate and force people out.

i try to, but at the end of the day my project is still an image and i’m still photoshopping plants onto a building. most architects aren’t really making buildings. they’re making drawings of buildings.

don't get me wrong, the image is a powerful thing. design is a powerful thing. ultimately though, i see myself doing the research that supports the decisions of the designer and not working as the designer directly.

being back at school has helped me rediscover my passion for science, and more specifically, physics. last year i took a hydrodynamics class and remembered why i studied it in the first place. because i like math and mechanics, and it's with these tools that i want to answer questions about design, conservation and multispecies community resilience.

the connection may not be obvious at first, but now, somehow, my work unites these three passions of mine -- a combination of environmental fluid mechanics, wildlife zoology, and design. broadly, i'm exploring how to incorporate marshes and other coastal vegetation into the design of physically, ecologically, and socially resilient urban waterfronts. the marshes can physically attenuate wave energy, preventing erosion and wave-driven flooding. they also provide important habitat for local wildlife like birds, crabs, and larval fish. social resilience is perhaps a more diffuse subject, but by grounding these nature-based coastal management solutions in community stewardship, we can start to rebuild relationships with our non-human neighbors. how? not sure yet, but i have some ideas.

yesterday i was accepted into a masters program in the department of civil and environmental engineering to research some of these questions (specifically regarding wave-structure-vegetation interaction). i'm not leaving the architecture department, but instead continuing in both programs as a dual degree student.

i don't identify myself as an architect, but I do as a designer. and as a scientist and educator. these titles are arbitrary (every problem is interdisciplinary when you get down to it), but they help me connect the person i am now to the person i was then.

physics-major-in-a-us-naval-officer-program turned zookeeper turned architecture-student turned science-and-engineering-student-studying-the-codesign-of-climate-adaptation-with/by/for-coastal-ecologies? my transition happened in there somewhere lol i'm also 5 years on T this week.

things will keep changing naturally, but really enjoying the ride so far :)

#ive been hustling trying to get this dual degree for over a yearrrrrrrrr #and by hustling i mean HUSTLING #this is not an existing dual degree program and has involved a lot of work on my part and im super proud of myself #also so so glad i found environmental fluid mechanics #i could really talk about fluid physics of marshes all day #planning on going for my phd! #and this is all great but i couldn’t have done it without my darling partner who i am SO in love with #going on 4 years soon :’) #anyway i’m just blabbing guess i’ve been really happy lately :) #zookeeping #grad school #architecture #animales #illustration #my art #engineering #climate adaptation

[duckmoss]

People who work outside or in zoological settings favorite brand of khakis sound off

I like REI’s convertible pants specifically

#duck speaks #mine #biology #zoology #bioblr #sciblr #ecology #zoo life #work talk #khakis #zookeeper #zookeeping #biologist

[pygmymarmosets]

one month into my zookeeping volunteering and I love it!!

The first picture is of Ava the pygmy marmoset and the second is of Trixie the goeldi’s monkey. 🙈

#zookeeping #environmental science

[liontalon1]

I’ve got to stop watching zookeeping shows they just make me depressed and miss my old job more. Why can’t zookeeping be a financially viable job

Some of my favorite pics from my last internship a few years ago (i really wish i could afford to live/work there)

How can you dislike going to work when those faces greet you every morning?

#zookeeping #zookeeper #former zookeeper #cute animals #reticulated giraffe #okapi #giraffe

[taysanimaladventures]

Got the best question on Reddit so of course I had to write an essay in response

#tay talks #zookeeper problems #zookeeping

[thatbirdkeepergirl]

Just had an absolutely wild time so I’m gonna write it down before I forget:

We got a call just generally for the bird department, which is weird, and managers tend to get those so I ignored it. Then a coworker calls me and asks me to come check out a “mallard situation on the bridge”.

The zoo has a creek run through it, and there’s a bridge over it in the center. This is where a mother duck had decided to lead her 8— eight— ducklings. So there’s a crowd of guests and a handful of guest services employees holding them at bay all staring at the little family on the edge looking down the 20+ foot drop into the creek. And, of course, momma duck jumps.

So I go get a bucket and gloves, so my coworker and I don’t spread germs from these wild ducks to our zoo ducks, and we get to work getting the little ones down to the creek.

Very, very carefully, my coworker puts her arm between the chicks and the edge, and I get into position to grab them. And we manage to nab all 8! We take them down to the perimeter gate that leads to the creek and… nobody has the key. Only security has the key. And when we call, they say it’s gonna be a half hour wait.

So we settle down to wait. I try to keep the chicks peeping occasionally so mom knows they’re still there. At one point a male chased her off. She kept flying back and forth. Once, guest services called to tell us she was back up on the bridge.

Luckily, the manager who had answered the first call was still following along, and he decided we didn’t want to wait and risk the mom flying off and abandoning the ducklings. He grabs a huge extension ladder, and we hand the bucket of chicks to him as he climbs over the fence and down to the creek.

And mom had stayed!! He took the little ones out of the bucket and they swam straight to mom. A few guests actually applauded, because of course we were visible to the public this entire time.

And they all lived happily ever after!

#zoo #zookeeping #birds #ducks #work stories