Australia Zoo Chimpanzees in Australia Zoo?

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Darn! Well i would have thought there were going to be some chimps in the primate exhibit. Ive always wanted to be a primate keeper at a zoo *Particuarally Chimpanzees*. But i guess ill have to wait then. Anyone else have information on this topic???
 
why do you have to wait? are you not prepared to work in another zoo?

there are four other zoos in australia with chimps.
 
It isnt all that easy to find cheap homes close to zoo's and close to a school for children. Ive been searching for houses and there are cheap family houses near Beerwah and Glasshouse Mountains.

All the houses in driving range of taronga zoo are way to over priced because there near the bay. And im not sure which other zoos have chimpanzees.

And id also rather work in a more well paying zoo because i need to support a family *my wife works to by the way*.

And i honostly dont think that there is a zoo with chimpanzees that will accept me. I only have 3 years of farming experience and no experience with primates what so ever other than seeing them at zoos. And most importantly I havent gone to University.

If there is a zoo like that anywhere in Australia, please post straight away!
 
To get your foot in the door with primates you will need to be a volunteer for a while on other species, then get a job as a keeper, or get a degree or certificate in animal management, then still start on other species. Apes are one of the most dangerous species to keep, so you need to put in the hard yards to be let near them, which means starting at the bottom.
 
Thank you for your reply Jo. So ill start as a volunter for a year or so with another smaller species.. get a job as a zookeeper.. Look after another smaller species for a while and rank up to the chimpanzees. Do you know a well paying zoo other then taronga zoo which keeps chimpanzees and other large apes? If so please tell.
 
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Nope, there are no well paying zoos in general, keeping is not a highly paid job, but those others with chimps aren't going to be any better than Taronga pay wise. Are you near Perth Zoo? If so ask them about vollie opportunities. I have to also point out that even following what I suggested won't guarantee you a position with chimps. Ape keepers tend to try to keep their positions, so they won't come up very often.

You also have to realise that keepers spent 90% of their time cleaning, so basically that is what you will be doing, it won't be a job playing with chimps, and some won't be interested in you anyway.
 
Nope, there are no well paying zoos in general, keeping is not a highly paid job, but those others with chimps aren't going to be any better than Taronga pay wise. Are you near Perth Zoo? If so ask them about vollie opportunities. I have to also point out that even following what I suggested won't guarantee you a position with chimps. Ape keepers tend to try to keep their positions, so they won't come up very often.

You also have to realise that keepers spent 90% of their time cleaning, so basically that is what you will be doing, it won't be a job playing with chimps, and some won't be interested in you anyway.

i know its not all fun and games but my love for them is truely strong. And yes i am near perth zoo. What do you mean by Vollie oppurtunities?
 
By the sound of it, you are asking the impossible, unless you want to put in lots of work on other sections in zoos, and work your way up the ladder.

You are almost asking the equivalent of " I once cooked a barbeque, but I want to be the lead chef in a 5-star hotel, and I weant to live close by, and I don't want to spend much on a house". Oh, if life was that easy!

I think you'd be best thinking of an alternative career to be honest. You and 50,000 other people all want to work in zoos, and jobs are few and far between, especially when you want to work with apes, elephants or seals.

Oh, and Taronga well-paying??? You've clearly never spoken to a Taronga keeper!!
 
Im not saying i want everything to be perfect like that ZooPro. Im just wanting to know what area/zoo would be better to work with chimps and all. I know its a tough and low paying job but for me it all adds up.
 
Vollie opportunities = volunteer positions. I wouldn't want to be a keeper for anything, hence my long stint at uni.
 
There are only one or two zoos where you can work with chimps in Australia -Taronga (which you don't want) and Rockhampton Zoo (unlikely). So your options are very very limited.

Monarto Zoo is building a chimp facility, but they will be wanting experienced keepers, as will any zoo. You need to do lots of hard yards first, become experienced, known, and respected, and then wait for a position to come up.

And as I said, there's a long, long line of people ahead of you.
 
There are only one or two zoos where you can work with chimps in Australia -Taronga (which you don't want) and Rockhampton Zoo (unlikely). So your options are very very limited.

Monarto Zoo is building a chimp facility, but they will be wanting experienced keepers, as will any zoo. You need to do lots of hard yards first, become experienced, known, and respected, and then wait for a position to come up.

And as I said, there's a long, long line of people ahead of you.

Taronga zoo looks like a nice place to work but the houses around there cost between $500,000- $600,000. Zookeepers make that much money in around 12 years!!! And i dont think i meet the requirements to work there.

What are the requirements to become a Zoo Keeper at Taronga Zoo?

Certificate III in Captive Animal Management (or equivalent), or the ability to enrol in the course.
Knowledge and experience in captive husbandry and exhibit design.
Knowledge of animal training and conditioning practices.
Demonstrated customer service ethos.
Demonstrated presentation and communication skills
Hold a current NSW Class C Drivers Licence.
Hold or have the ability to gain a Class A&B Firearms Licence
Other specific criteria dependent on the role.

I havent heard about Monarto zoo before i think ill research it!
 
You are basically just a cleaner, long hours, low pay to pick up doo doo. You get very little time to actually interact with the animals. I get much better animal contact as a researcher, and when I finish my PhD my pay will be considerably more, and I get far better opportunities.

Having said I won't be a keeper, I actually do look after the colony of capuchins I am now studying, I am essentially their keeper, and boy do I whinge having to get up early, and for no pay!

Your first step is talk about becoming a volunteer with Perth, if you are very lucky you might get to do some actual volunteer keeping and then you can decide if it is worth what you have to do to try to get a keeping job. But in the meantime think of alternative jobs, because as ZooPro has said, the number of people who want to be keepers for the jobs that are available is huge.

If you want to move to Renmark you can always volunteer for me, then I can come in after the morning feed at stupid o'clock!
 
Monarto is one of my research locations, have a look by all means but don't get your hopes up for a position there on chimps, it will be filled by existing staff.
 
Taronga zoo looks like a nice place to work but the houses around there cost between $500,000- $600,000.

There must be a different Taronga that I don't know about. Houses around Taronga Zoo in Sydney start at around the $1.5 - 2 million mark! You wouldn't even get a garage for $500,000!
 
So what does your future job involve doing all day? Are you in a lab doing scientific tests or ar you just out in natural habitats of animals recording notes on them? And when you say more pay how much money do you think you will get paid a year? And is there a University in Western Australia that would give me oppurtunities to do research on primates like you?
 
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