My Hopefull Future Career : Elephant Trainer
- Thread starter ChesterGemsbok
- Start date
easytigger
Well-Known Member
As collections that work in Free Contact are getting fewer and fewer then so willl the jobs within the field, Get animal experience any trainee keepership that offers the animal management qualification, then you have a foot in the door ready to move to elephants when the opportunity arises.
However most collections don't operate a system where they just go heres some keys and an ankus thats an elephant off you go, depending on the training programs of the individual collections, inconjunction with the BIAZA elephant husbandry guidelines it could be 12 months before you even are allowed to share a space with an elephant let alone be its handler, these 12 months would be spent doing the donkey work, food prep, cleaning, moving hay, collecting browese etc. You might find it advantageous to start in a collection that operates in protected contact and spend 12 months doing that, then move into free contact once you have gained relevant experience, for instance with basic experience you would then be able to apply for
BIAZA Public Access
While I remain firmly in the PC camp, good luck with your quest
However most collections don't operate a system where they just go heres some keys and an ankus thats an elephant off you go, depending on the training programs of the individual collections, inconjunction with the BIAZA elephant husbandry guidelines it could be 12 months before you even are allowed to share a space with an elephant let alone be its handler, these 12 months would be spent doing the donkey work, food prep, cleaning, moving hay, collecting browese etc. You might find it advantageous to start in a collection that operates in protected contact and spend 12 months doing that, then move into free contact once you have gained relevant experience, for instance with basic experience you would then be able to apply for
BIAZA Public Access
While I remain firmly in the PC camp, good luck with your quest
Hi ChesterGemsbok, there is a great way to get into animal keeping, and that is by seasonal work, many collections take on seasonals every year. And once you are in a collection it is easier to make contacts with elephant staff, some collections allow you to volunteer on other sections i.e. elephant section you won't get to work the elephants but you do get to see the work first hand and be involved in the day to day work of elephants, that way you see the job and get your name in with elephant keepers - and from my experience an elephant keeper generally know a lot of other elephant keepers!! It would mean that you that you have to start your career on a different section but you can learn a lot on the way to your dream job!
PC Protected contact were a barrier is between the elephant and keeper. FC Free contact were the keeper and the elephant are in the same space with no barriers excapt maybe a chain on the animals foot.
I would like to sat that while I was at school I had a careers advisor that told me elephant keeping was a ridiculous career and if I took it up I would be poor and miserable. She even took steps to try and block me from doing the subjects I wanted to do to achieve this as she was obsessed with sending her students to uni.
So 18 months later I sent her a postcard from an elephant sanctuary where I was working. It is a very dangerous career, one of the keepers/mahouts (we were trying to move away from traditional handling - i.e. sharp ankus') but one insisted on not using RC on his Bulls in Musth. instead prefering FC (PC is usually non existant in asia which relies on RC for unmanagable animals). This was the only time I felt unsafe with the animals and rightly so as I was attacked when walking my cows past an elephant i believed to be tethered.
I would still be there today (living very poorly but happily) except some security concerns at the time forced me to return home. I am hoping to go back in the future.
Elephant keeping both FC and PC are mentally draining careers choices. I know of keepers on elephant divisions that have been asked to spend one of their shifts on another division just to give them a break from the stress involved.
It is dangerous but so is any career. Anyone saying don't do it because it's dangerous. . . seriously?? get real! every career can have elements of danger. FC is alot more beneficial for the animals, especially for smaller zoos. but even Dubbo takes it's elephants out of the enclosure to graze in a 600 acre paddock. Which would not be possible if they were handled PC.
It is high danger and you do always need to be aware. but it is a highly rewarding career. I suggest volunteering overseas or doing a course but unless you find an apprentice elephant keeper position your best chance would be to get a job working with other animals at a facility that houses elephants and ask your boss if you can volunteer with the elephant keepers on occasion.
Keep an eye on the elephant sanctuary tennessee website, they sometimes advertise for apprentices for 6 month periods.
So 18 months later I sent her a postcard from an elephant sanctuary where I was working. It is a very dangerous career, one of the keepers/mahouts (we were trying to move away from traditional handling - i.e. sharp ankus') but one insisted on not using RC on his Bulls in Musth. instead prefering FC (PC is usually non existant in asia which relies on RC for unmanagable animals). This was the only time I felt unsafe with the animals and rightly so as I was attacked when walking my cows past an elephant i believed to be tethered.
I would still be there today (living very poorly but happily) except some security concerns at the time forced me to return home. I am hoping to go back in the future.
Elephant keeping both FC and PC are mentally draining careers choices. I know of keepers on elephant divisions that have been asked to spend one of their shifts on another division just to give them a break from the stress involved.
It is dangerous but so is any career. Anyone saying don't do it because it's dangerous. . . seriously?? get real! every career can have elements of danger. FC is alot more beneficial for the animals, especially for smaller zoos. but even Dubbo takes it's elephants out of the enclosure to graze in a 600 acre paddock. Which would not be possible if they were handled PC.
It is high danger and you do always need to be aware. but it is a highly rewarding career. I suggest volunteering overseas or doing a course but unless you find an apprentice elephant keeper position your best chance would be to get a job working with other animals at a facility that houses elephants and ask your boss if you can volunteer with the elephant keepers on occasion.
Keep an eye on the elephant sanctuary tennessee website, they sometimes advertise for apprentices for 6 month periods.
sealion
Well-Known Member
Ah cool, thanks!
sorry to bring this old topic up, but in regards to the PC/FC thing, i've never heard of this before. The keepers at Taronga are basically one on one with the elephants, now barrier, no chain, just respect and trust. One of the elephants even lowered itself to allow the trainer to climb on its back, and then gently lowered him back down.
Do they actually do all this PC/FC stuff at other zoos? Is Taronga a rare example?
Do they actually do all this PC/FC stuff at other zoos? Is Taronga a rare example?
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Well by the sounds of it Taronga is working in FC or Free Contact.