Working With Animals – Jobs Guide

If you have ever wanted to work with animals, you have probably had to make a decision on how to employ your interest in animals and wildlife? Zoology is a great way of achieving this as zoologists and wildlife enthusiasts participate in research or teach at universities all over the world. There are also a variety of occupations that enable you to work with animals at zoos, conservation organizations, national parks, and nature reserves; these are arguably the best in terms of day to day handling of animals. Listed below are some of the options you may explore when you are thinking or working with wildlife.

1. Zookeeper
A zookeeper is a person employed by a zoo or aquarium, and they are responsible for the day to day caring of animals and their enclosures. Their daily activities usually include the preparation of meals, the cleaning of enclosures, enrichment for the animals to stimulate their natural instincts and behaviours and monitoring animal behaviour in order to notice illness and stress. Depending on the animal in question, a zookeeper might also groom and exercise animals.

2. Animal and Wildlife Educator
Zoos, aquariums, parks and other wildlife collections employ educators and program developers to create and implement a variety of media and activities such as; brochures, videos, guided tours, exhibits. These are used as educational tools for visitors to learn about animals and wildlife. The opportunities in this field range from volunteer positions to full-time staff positions. In the role as an educator, you can also create content for books, magazines, newspapers, and web-media, which are all important tools for any budding wildlife enthusiast.

3. Zoo Curator
Zoo curators are the equivalent of directors and are responsible for the acquisition of animals. Animals are primarily acquired via captive breeding programs. With occasional trade between zoos or and in some very rare occasions the animals are collected direct from the wild. Governmental agencies regulate the acquisition of animals; and as a result the zoo curator acts as a liaison between these agencies and the zoo. Additionally, there are administrative functions in the zoo which the zoo curator plays a role.

4. Wildlife Rehabilitator
When an animal is orphaned, injured or just being released back into the wild rehabilitation is needed; the rehabilitation is needed to make sure the animal is capable of existing in the wild. When human activity causes harm in to wildlife this is were a wildlife rehabilitator often steps in to help. Rehabilitators usually need to acquire permits from state and federal wildlife agencies before they can possess or handle wildlife.

5. Animal Behaviourist
Animal behaviourists have often had the most wildlife related education they routinely train zoologists and other zoo employees. The training is in how to interact with and successfully care for animals. Ethology is the study of behaviour and it is a very important science as far as animal behaviourists are concerned. When working first hand with animals, understanding the behaviour of the animals is of the up most importance.

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