Tips on becoming a zookeeper

JM01

JM01

Well-Known Member
Hello!

So I've been fascinated with animals since I was a little kid and I've always wanted to work with animals. My absolute biggest dream in life is to become a zookeeper. I'm currently doing a Certificate 2 in Animal Studies and I'll be doing a Certificate 3 in Captive Animal Management next year. I'm starting volunteering at David Flaeys Wildlife Park in the coming months as well. Is anyone here an Aussie zookeeper? What advice would you give? How long did you volunteer for before you got a job? What are the best animals to work with? And would you recommend I do anything else? I'm also going to go for a cert 4 in vetinary nursing so I can be a vet nurse while I'm waiting to get a zoo job. Plus it would be something to add to the resume. Thank you for reading!
 
You are well on track with those plans. Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer is my main suggestion. The other one is doing plenty of networking, the zoo industry is as much who you know as it is what you know. Good luck with the journey ahead, it's an incredibly competitive field so keep that in mind as well.

I'd also suggest having a flick through the Australian Society of Zoo Keeping site and social medias as well.
 
You’re doing all the right things, but it’s incredibly tough. I’ve got the cert 3, a conservation degree and over a year of full time volunteer/intern experience and still not gotten there and struggle to get interviews. Over the years, the journey has absolutely battered my mental health. It’s so hard to get into this industry— the fact that you’re looking into vet nursing is good, you don’t want to have no other options if it doesn’t work out or it takes many, many years.
 
marmolady said:
You’re doing all the right things, but it’s incredibly tough. I’ve got the cert 3, a conservation degree and over a year of full time volunteer/intern experience and still not gotten there and struggle to get interviews. Over the years, the journey has absolutely battered my mental health. It’s so hard to get into this industry— the fact that you’re looking into vet nursing is good, you don’t want to have no other options if it doesn’t work out or it takes many, many years.
Click to expand...
Where are you interning?

From what I've read on jobs ads the usual minimum years of experience is 3 years so perhaps that's why you haven't had any luck yet.
 
From my experience, I feel like the best way to get an entry into the industry to volunteer at a smaller facility. Places like this have a closer relationship with volunteers with you often working alongside the people who do the hiring. Smaller teams means your often going to get more hands on experience as a volunteer than you would at a government facility that has lots of rules and red tape.

Now is definitely the best time to be looking to enter the industry, most places are understaffed at the moment and crying out for more workers, that being said it’s still a job that many people underestimate and aren’t ready to for the hard labour involved.

Either way, I wish you the best of luck with it all, apply for as many jobs as possible and if you’re willing to look at places further from home there’s plenty of work out there currently.
 
JM01 said:
Where are you interning?

From what I've read on jobs ads the usual minimum years of experience is 3 years so perhaps that's why you haven't had any luck yet.
Click to expand...
That’s not entry level. Entry level positions are so few and far between, and very competitive.
 
marmolady said:
That’s not entry level. Entry level positions are so few and far between, and very competitive.
Click to expand...
Wait I'm confused. I thought you could join as a general zookeeper at any level of experience if you have the right amount of years of volunteering?
 
Some of the ones on the Australian Zookeeping Society job ads ask for paid experience and others don't. So I thought it meant that you could apply for those jobs without having paid experience.
 
JM01 said:
Wait I'm confused. I thought you could join as a general zookeeper at any level of experience if you have the right amount of years of volunteering?
Click to expand...

This is a common misconception.

If I advertise for, say, a carnivore keeper with a minimum of three years experience, I mean a minimum of three years 5 day a week experience. Not a vollie who has three years 1 day a week experience.

I may well promote one of my own vollies who has consistently worked in the carnivore section for three years and has demonstrated a good work ethic, exceptional attention to detail, has researched details about the species in their care in their own time, who has proved to have an ongoing commitment to safety and security, who has the ability to work congenially with visitors, co-workers and management, who is not afraid to get dirty, wet, cold, hot and tired and who can put their own life on hold when needed by their animals.

I maintain that these qualities are not learned in an academic course but that the achievement of some academic standard could be a bonus providing all of the foregoing traits have been consistently demonstrated over a period of time.

PS - I should point out that an entry level keeper would not start in the carnivore department! For obvious reasons that is a department that you would work your way up to if that is your interest.

I like to start vollies in the bird department - the most complex of our departments here. If you can master the intricacies of diet preparation, serving of food, cleaning of aviaries and their furniture without disturbing the residents, washing up, landscaping, meaningfully observing your charges, reporting and recording your observations, more washing up, keeping your sense of humour in all sorts of weather, more washing up then you are on the first step of your journey towards becoming one of a very rare breed - a savvy animal keeper.
 
Steve Robinson said:
This is a common misconception.

If I advertise for, say, a carnivore keeper with a minimum of three years experience, I mean a minimum of three years 5 day a week experience. Not a vollie who has three years 1 day a week experience.

I may well promote one of my own vollies who has consistently worked in the carnivore section for three years and has demonstrated a good work ethic, exceptional attention to detail, has researched details about the species in their care in their own time, who has proved to have an ongoing commitment to safety and security, who has the ability to work congenially with visitors, co-workers and management, who is not afraid to get dirty, wet, cold, hot and tired and who can put their own life on hold when needed by their animals.

I maintain that these qualities are not learned in an academic course but that the achievement of some academic standard could be a bonus providing all of the foregoing traits have been consistently demonstrated over a period of time.

PS - I should point out that an entry level keeper would not start in the carnivore department! For obvious reasons that is a department that you would work your way up to if that is your interest.

I like to start vollies in the bird department - the most complex of our departments here. If you can master the intricacies of diet preparation, serving of food, cleaning of aviaries and their furniture without disturbing the residents, washing up, landscaping, meaningfully observing your charges, reporting and recording your observations, more washing up, keeping your sense of humour in all sorts of weather, more washing up then you are on the first step of your journey towards becoming one of a very rare breed - a savvy animal keeper.
Click to expand...

Ah I see. Would I be better off volunteering at a zoo that a zoo that hires volunteers, say for example your zoo? I'm actually considering volunteering at your zoo since I remember you said to me in an email that you hire volunteers if they are good enough after one year. I sent another email the other day asking if I miss that deadline would I still have a chance of becoming a zookeeper if I volunteered for another few years? And do you only hire volunteers who work five days a week or do you also hire volunteers who work one day a week or two days a week?
 
JM01 said:
Ah I see. Would I be better off volunteering at a zoo that a zoo that hires volunteers, say for example your zoo? I'm actually considering volunteering at your zoo since I remember you said to me in an email that you hire volunteers if they are good enough after one year. I sent another email the other day asking if I miss that deadline would I still have a chance of becoming a zookeeper if I volunteered for another few years? And do you only hire volunteers who work five days a week or do you also hire volunteers who work one day a week or two days a week?
Click to expand...
Would you not be better off asking this privately in a email?
 
JM01 said:
Sorry guys I'm just a bit stressed over this whole thing
Click to expand...

I appreciate that, but as @Zorro says, questions regarding a specific position at a zoo or their hiring policies are best conducted over PM. It’s respectful to the owner (and their privacy) - and it isn’t a conversation we all need to (inadvertently) be involved in by seeing it on the public forum.

You’ve asked for general advice (which is fine) and hopefully received some advice from other members you’ve found helpful. It’s a tough industry to break into - and one that requires dedication beyond what most jobs would entail, experience and qualifications (arguably in that order).

I wish you the best of luck in your journey.
 
Zoofan15 said:
I appreciate that, but as @Zorro says, questions regarding a specific position at a zoo or their hiring policies are best conducted over PM. It’s respectful to the owner (and their privacy) - and it isn’t a conversation we all need to (inadvertently) be involved in by seeing it on the public forum.

You’ve asked for general advice (which is fine) and hopefully received some advice from other members you’ve found helpful. It’s a tough industry to break into - and one that requires dedication beyond what most jobs would entail, experience and qualifications (arguably in that order).

I wish you the best of luck in your journey.
Click to expand...
Yeah my bad, I was just excited to see him on here and didn't think. I should have dm'd him or emailed him instead. Sorry if you felt like it breached your privacy @Steve Robinson
 
JM01 said:
Yeah my bad, I was just excited to see him on here and didn't think. I should have dm'd him or emailed him instead. Sorry if you felt like it breached your privacy @Steve Robinson
Click to expand...


No need to apologise!

I think that you might be stressing unnecessarily. If you are determined to become a zoo keeper take some advice from @Riley - keep applying for vollie positions and understand that you are going to have to work hard.

The advice that @marmolady gave about your vet nurse training is also very relevant.

You may have to resend the email that you mentioned - I can't find it here.

All the best.
 
Steve Robinson said:
No need to apologise!

I think that you might be stressing unnecessarily. If you are determined to become a zoo keeper take some advice from @Riley - keep applying for vollie positions and understand that you are going to have to work hard.

The advice that @marmolady gave about your vet nurse training is also very relevant.

You may have to resend the email that you mentioned - I can't find it here.

All the best.
Click to expand...
Do you mind if i dm you here instead since the email isn't working?

Also would a Bachelor's of Environmental Science/Management help at all with the resume? I'm considering maybe doing that as a backup in case I don't get a job as a zookeeper or if I don't end up doing vet nursing.
 
You can direct message members here, probably easiest!
I think it’s good that you’re setting yourself up to have a broad range of related jobs you can apply to.
 
I have not read this book, but it might interest someone reading this thread. 50 Things to Know About Being a Zookeeper: Life of a Zookeeper (Fowlie, 2020).

Here is the Amazon link:

Amazon.ca
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top