LisaAnnOKane
Tampa, FL
Female, 32
During my zookeeping and environmental education career, I have interacted and worked with a variety of animals, including brown bears, wolverines, red foxes, moose, camels, mountain goats, dolphins, sea lions, raccoons, porcupines, snakes, raptors and ravens. I am also a young adult author, and my debut novel ESSENCE was released in June 2014 by Strange Chemistry Books. Ask me anything!
Hi Favre, I definitely believe that--first and foremost--wild animals belong in the wild. However, some people don't realize this, but the animals in accredited zoos in the United States are all there because they have been deemed "unreleasable" by an objective, third-party organization like the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service or the Department of Fish & Game. This means they have been evaluated for their probability of survival in the wild, and the decision has been made that they most likely won't make it on their own.
There are many variables to this, but the determinations seem to generally fall into one (or more) of the following reasons: they suffer from a permanent injury (blindness, an amputated wing, etc.), they have become accustomed to human handouts (problem bears in national parks, etc.), or they were orphaned at an early age or born in a zoo environment and never learned how to survive in an uncontrolled environment.
Decisions like this are never made lightly, and the welfare of the animal is always the highest priority. And once the decision is made for an animal to stay in human care, a comprehensive environmental enrichment plan is developed to ensure the animal receives the best care, training and environmental stimulation possible.
It's not the wild, obviously, but it's the very best we can do. And if those animals can serve as "ambassadors for their species" to hopefully inspire visitors to care enough about their wild counterparts to practice conservation, I believe this is a very important mission, too.
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Hi MRaines! Your sister actually won't get to pick which animal she majors in; instead, she will receive an understanding of the biology, physiology and natural history of many types of animals. This way, she will be very well-rounded when she graduates.
This is very helpful, because she will probably have to "work her way up" to a shift with her dream animals. Most of "glamorous" animal shifts are very competitive, so zookeepers often have to put in their time before they can secure these positions!
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Hi Acelest, and thanks for such a great question. I need to be honest with you: I have questioned zookeeping as a career many times, and the reason has always come down to the salary. As a matter of fact, in recent years I have been forced to shift my focus away from the animals and more onto the management side of things. This has been a 100% financial decision.
It is an incredible shame, because zookeeping really is my dream job, but at the end of the day, almost every zookeeper I know either works two jobs or is partially supported by someone else. The reason is two-fold: the career is extremely competitive, so if you aren't willing to accept such a low salary, there are hundreds of people in line just behind you who will. Also, there is an abundance of entry-level jobs, but it is very hard to work your way up into a management position, because of the bottleneck of available talent vs. very few openings.
That being said, if zookeeping is your dream, I would encourage you without hesitation to go for it. I have never once regretted my decision to become a zookeeper, and I would not be the person I am today if not for the experiences I have had in this career field.
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Hi there! I have actually already answered this question, so I will copy and paste my answers here for you:
The first step in designing an enrichment program is to research the species’ natural behaviors and physiology. Once you have a handle on what the animal “likes to do,” the next step is to design a goal-oriented plan that identifies the species-specific behaviors are desired from that animal (digging, nesting, etc.).
Enrichment plans must include how the enrichment will be developed, how it will ensure the animal’s safety, and how it will be monitored to document the animal’s response to it. (Interns and/or volunteers usually do the majority of monitoring.)
Understanding that many animals often require a “breaking in period” where they size up new additions to their environment, trainers should make sure to keep detailed records to ensure the animal eventually utilizes and is stimulated by the enrichment provided. If the enrichment is not deemed to be effective, a plan should be in place for adapting, altering and/or removing it.
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Hi Hannah! I can't speak for all zoos, but in my experience, Curator positions were typically earned by zookeepers who received the necessary education (masters degrees are a huge plus!), put in their time "on-the-ground" and then worked their way up the chain of command to this role. The amount of hands-on time varies between zoos, but Curators typically spend most of their time on administrative and supervisory work. They also offer the "final say" on many decisions.
If you are interested in this role, I would recommend doing your research and then going for it! These positions are SUPER competitive, but if this is what you know you want to do, that will help you focus all your efforts on it while you are in school.
Best of luck to you!
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Hi Natasha! Are you wondering about the methods for restraining a wild dolphin during a capture and release, or were you wondering more about a procedure with a dolphin in human care? I'm happy to help once I know a little more!
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Hi Lynnski, and thanks so much for your question. Zookeeping is a very rewarding and unique career, but be forewarned that it also involves very long hours and relatively low pay. The good news is that the vast majority of people who become zookeepers do so for the right reason--because they love it and can't see themselves doing anything else. However, the compensation and long hours do require a lifestyle sacrifice, so make sure you weigh this cost when deciding if this career is right for you.
Your animals don't care if it's day or night, raining or snowing, a weekend or a holiday. They still need to eat, and they still need medical attention. Sometimes this means you have to miss holiday dinners, stay overnight, stand in freezing pools for hours, or run right into a disaster like an earthquake or a hurricane while everyone else is running out.
The upside: you get to build a bond with an animal most people only dream of ever seeing in real life. And some of your animals begin looking forward to seeing you almost as much as you look forward to seeing them. That kind of compensation can't really be quantified. ;)
As far as your question about starting your career, I would recommend looking at this article from the American Association of Zookeepers: "So, You Want to Be a Zoo Keeper, Trainer, or an Aquarist?" (http://aazk.org/wp-content/uploads/keeper_information.pdf).
If zookeeping still feels like a good fit for you, I would encourage you to check out the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Job Listing page: http://www.aza.org/joblistings/
Best of luck!
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