Hi, I’m a zookeeper who is currently thinking of the leaving the field. I’m just wondering what life is like after zookeeper? Are there any former zookeepers who would mind sharing what new career paths you chose? I’m just not sure what other jobs I would be qualified for as someone who has been zookeeping for 15 years. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome!
Life after zookeeping...
- Thread starter John1981
- Start date
I am not a zookeeper, but I know many and have seen some of them leave the profession. I know one who became a rafting trip guide. I know one who became a high school biology teacher and another who became a computer consultant. I know another who got a job training dogs for a pest control company to sniff out termites and other vermin.
Just a thought, but have you considered visiting a career counselor? People changing careers is fairly common now, and there are career counselors who specialize helping people in mid-career find their path to new careers.
Just a thought, but have you considered visiting a career counselor? People changing careers is fairly common now, and there are career counselors who specialize helping people in mid-career find their path to new careers.
There are very few people on this site who actually work (or have worked) at a zoo. Most of us are just fans (plus a handful of volunteers, or like me former volunteers). However I did make a career change in my middle age almost four years ago, leaving a low paying job in the field of my passion (photography) for a better paying job in government. You may or may not be leaving zookeeping for the same reason (low pay), I am not sure. All I can say is it's one of the best life decisions I have made. People talk about following your dreams or they glorify the role of the starving artist, but living near poverty gets old. Having a steady and decent paycheck in a mundane job (as long as you don't hate it) is far better. It allows me to do what I love (travel to take pictures with nice cameras). Just my two cents, look for a field that will not become obsolete and that pays a living wage. The health care field and government are two options. If you love animals, maybe even go to trade school to be a vet tech.
I was considering that, but it’s awfully expensive....but it could be worth it!
For a zookeeper I make a decent wage.....granted it’s still not a high wage....but probably one of the best. I just can’t handle the consistently being treated horribly by an employer. When staff is constantly treated badly and devalued...it’s completely demoralizing. Its sad.
Is there a reason (family ties, etc) that you need to stay in the city you're in now? If not it seems transferring to a better run zoo would be the obvious choice. Of course the trick is finding out (honestly) which zoos treat their employees well.
I’ll be honest...out of the 4 zoos I’ve work for only one of them was ran well. At this point, i’m just not interested in moving for another zoo. I love the city I live in....and it’s close-ish to family. From my experience and what others tell me about their zoos, it just doesn’t seem promising. Of course, no one is going to tell you the zoo as an employer is terrible when you interview for a new job.
Hi John,
Are you on Facebook? If so there are zookeeping groups ("Zookreepers" and "you know you're a zookeeper when") where these sort of things are discussed regularly and there's a good supply of advice/support. Quite a few who have left the field end up just volunteering at their preferred zoo/park to keep in touch with their passion alongside their new regular better-paying jobs. Their reasons are all different (financially struggling, bad work environment, pressure from AR groups, passion fatigue, bodies breaking down from all the physical work!, ect.)
I'm a zookeeper who's only been in the field 8 years, I'm leaving very soon to go into research, no idea what I'll do after that - probably travel!
Are you on Facebook? If so there are zookeeping groups ("Zookreepers" and "you know you're a zookeeper when") where these sort of things are discussed regularly and there's a good supply of advice/support. Quite a few who have left the field end up just volunteering at their preferred zoo/park to keep in touch with their passion alongside their new regular better-paying jobs. Their reasons are all different (financially struggling, bad work environment, pressure from AR groups, passion fatigue, bodies breaking down from all the physical work!, ect.)
I'm a zookeeper who's only been in the field 8 years, I'm leaving very soon to go into research, no idea what I'll do after that - probably travel!
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
I'm glad you've mentioned this, and sorry for the long reply , but I think its worth discussing and I have a lot of thoughts on this issue (Haven't observed this in Brazil but I know and have observed that this is a dominant trend in working cultures in Industrialised Northern hemisphere countries of the West).
It isn't often talked about , much to the detriment of conservation , but this issue of toxic organizational cultures , cut throat competition, and "kiss up kick down" culture is currently a big and deeply entrenched problem within all fields of conservation. It doesn't matter whether it is academia / research , NGO work , zoos and even volunteering as all of these fields have endemic levels of this problem and very sadly it is actually one of the biggest internal threats facing conservation which doesn't just undermine credibility but also funding and the future.
Ultimately (and ironically) it is a situation very similar to cultures that exist within corporations , governance and banking that promote and normalise a working culture of cut throat machiavellian behaviour / zero sum competition and an absense of any real leadership in favour of tyrannical, petty, and very badly trained organizational middle managers. This kind of organizational culture is NEVER sustainable and it ALWAYS ends up imploding in the end with disastrous consequences for the institution itself , it is the equivalent of sitting on a barrel of gunpowder while smoking , a totally cretinous behaviour.
It begs the question , how can organizations and institutions which pride themselves as being key in promoting and actively working towards a sustainable relationship between human civilization and the natural world even work in such when their own organizational cultures are deeply unsustainable ? Moreover, how can the same institutions talk about mitigating human wildlife conflict when they are totally inept at mitigating conflictive cultures in their own midst?
The answer of course is they quite simply can't , because its not about talking the talk and not walking the walk. So much of what is stated becomes merely hollow platitudes and most of the pretence (at least within the academic circles) of being morally "superior" and "righteous" is therefore almost comically hypocritical. This sort of top down cognitive dissonance between core organizational values as stated to the outside world and the inside reality of what is actually practiced just undermines and infects the whole operation and (as you've pointed out) destroys morale of workers whose work keeps the thing running / together.
No institution is too big or venerable / historic to be immune or safe from this as it eats up workplaces like a cancerous tumour , growing and growing until it eventually stops everything else from working. If you doubt what I'm saying then just take a look at the changes that have occurred with regards to work charters at the Zoological Society of London , one of the oldest zoos / natural history societies in the world (which as I have heard through the grapevine was brought in out of necessity).
In academia and research organizations it leads to **** poor science and the death of critical thinking which is replaced with stultifying and suffocating group think and mobbing of those who refuse to conform to these norms. In conservation practice like zoos and NGO's it invariably bleeds institutions of way too much money , their reptutation and good name get deservedly tarnished, and the best workers end up leaving (as you seem to be on the verge of doing) resulting in a lack of dynamism and a mediocre and depleted work force.
I know it might seem right now like nothing would ever change the current organizational culture you have to endure at work, however, sooner or later the organization that you currently work for will have to face the consequences of the magnitude of the problem they are creating and it won't be pretty for them. Basically they are in essence lighting their own funeral pyre / putting a noose around their own neck.
My advice ? Get out of your current workplace , find a different work place/ zoo (with a healthier organizational culture) and don't forget to watch from a distance as the management you've suffered under self-immolate themselves.
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I've been having a quarter-life crisis when trying to decide between attempting to be a keeper or own my own educational outreach program. I use to stay away from being a keeper because the pay is said to be bad, but I've heard from keepers online that they pay really isn't that horrible. It does seem to be a very rewarding career, so if you really enjoyed it and the pay is good, I would recommend trying to find another zoo and work with animals that you enjoy working with.
Glad that others who work in the field are contributing. Though I was only a volunteer and never a paid zoo worker, I have spoken with many zoo workers at various zoos and various levels of position over the years. Anecdotally the keepers who told me their current zoo was the best one they have worked at were employed at small, privately run, highly specialized facilities (Rare Species Conservation Centre in UK and Project Survival's Cat Haven in USA). Both of those facilities (the first is now closed) were founded and run by an individual with a passion for a specific type of animal and they followed their passion. Maybe this type of facility is better than a traditional zoo where senior staff come and go as better opportunities at bigger zoos arise? Just a thought.
I'm sure working at a smaller facility focused around certain species than an individual has a passion for, along with the lack of public annoyance and major criticisms, would make it enjoyable. I've been chatting a little with one of the bonobo keepers at Milwaukee County Zoo and they've got a major passion for what they're currently doing. They said their pay is good and they've also got some positions doing other things around the zoo as well. So I think it really depends on where you work. (Ex. San Diego Zoo would pay more than Milwaukee County Zoo, but the payment to live there is more expensive as well.)
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
I think that whether it is a conventional zoo open to the public or a private facility the propensity to toxic work environments is heavily dependent on the managerial and leadership style and the overarching "culture" of the organization. If certain interpersonal behaviours become normalized and embedded into the culture and a point is then reached over time where attitudes are largely "That is just how things are done here" (and when no one speaks up against this) then it is very hard and often impossible to turn back or to create a healthy work environment. Frequently it is the "kiss of death" moment for an organization though this will often be ignored and subject to much denial about the state of the organization and its future course.
I'm sure that at least a small number of some of the private specialized facilities also suffer from toxic organizational cultures, albeit I think this would occur to a lesser extent then conventional zoos which are subject to greater stressors , I agree. Perhaps one of the strengths of private and smaller facilities lies in the fact that they will typically have stronger leadership , often more stability, and a smaller work force that means that people typically know eachother on a more intimate level , less interpersonal competition and more collaboration and a common overarching ethos that allows a sense of community builds.
Conversely in larger organizations there can be a real lack of leadership and a nebulous situation where no one is really at the helm of the ship steering. This can lead to the rise of a culture of toxic middle management that will overcompensate for a lack of proper training in HR management by engaging in vicious behaviours towards subordinates like slander and mobbing which are meant to keep everyone "in their place" and to keep the organizational culture "unchallenged". The trickle down "kiss up , kick down" effect is that sense of community , trust, and shared values are eviscerated. Not good for conservation , not good for science , not good for communities ,not good for zoos or indeed anything except the ruthless cuthroat advancement of individuals at the expense of others. It might work in politics and Wallstreet but it most definitely doesn't work in a field like conservation, lets not make the mistake of pretending otherwise.
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Goodness, how familiar some of that sounds...... OK, I'm I my mid-sixties, and my varied and interesting zoo career lasted only a few years. I'm now 'retired', working three days a week to fund my birdkeeping and zoo visiting activities, and actually having quite a lot of fun.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
FBBird I am very saddened indeed to hear that you had to deal with these unnecessary difficulties in your career as a zoo keeper.
But know that there are some of us out there who recognise the problems, are actively trying to change this toxic culture and will not stand back and allow other generations to go through this neither in conservation , zoo work , academic studies nor NGO's.
Nevertheless, I am pleased to hear that you are enjoying life and haven't let what happened embitter you nor diminish your interest in wildlife , it has happened to too many good and capable people who could have gone on to achieve great things for conservation had they not been subjected to such behaviour. Keep enjoying life and having fun.
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Andrew Swales
Well-Known Member
These comments are interesting. Whilst we have the animals in common and there is considerable staff over-lap, it is increasingly evident that some individuals in some larger institutions have little if any appreciation of the strengths of the little guys, and the ignorance of some of the now accepted 'experts' is astonishing..
Life after being a keeper is never the same. You will always remember your time with your animals, but life does go on. Do what you are interested in, or try a completely new field that you may become interested in. If you can't find something you want to do then try working for yourself. This probably means not too much money, long hours, and some regrets, but you will be your own boss and do as much as you want, or have to. Look around and you will see that there are many opportunities. Do not be afraid to try!
Sometimes in zoos the competition in dominance hierarchies is fiercer outside than inside the Chimpanzee enclosure. In that sense we're not so different from our fellow apes behind the fence.
Hear, hear! I've made similar experiences, and it's "funny" how quickly those persons suddenly remember you when you're needed...
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
Probably a lot of these individuals wouldn't be unflattered to hear that comparison. Some very obviously style themselves as "alpha male" chimps within the workplace hierachy in some sort of pathetic and cringeworthy Gordon Gekko / naturalistic fallacy way.
Shame that its just a bluff to cover profound personal insecurities and **** management / people skills or to hide the fact that institutions are actually falling apart at the seams. It is almost a parody worthy of comedy gold if it wasn't so thoroughly depressing and damaging what they succeed in doing to institutions , individuals, and ultimately conservation.
Perhaps a better animal totem for these kinds of narcissists considering the way they infect and debilitate conservation would be a parasite like a tape worm , horsehair worm or schistosome flat worms. But ultimately perhaps the ultimate metaphor for these individuals wouldn't be an animal as such but be purely a very visible and vile symptom of a larger problem rather like liquid feces in food poisoning / diarrhea , genital warts in a venereal disease or a tumorlike growth in a cancer.
But like I said they are just heaping their own funeral pyres, if that is the way they insist on conducting themselves sooner or later they will self immolate , its not a matter of "if" just a matter of "when".
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