Zoo Jobs

Most zoo jobs involve working hands-on with zoo animals. Most zookeepers work on a rota/shift system and the job includes weekends and evenings. Zoo keepers are responsible for ensuring high standards of welfare for animals living in zoos. This includes preparing and providing meals according to species requirements, ensuring high standards of enrichment and stimulation for animals living in confinement, maintaining high standards of cleaning and hygiene to prevent the spread of disease and infection, being able to administer first aid, carrying out daily health checks, keeping good records, doing educational talks for visitors, monitoring visitor and animal interactions, etc.

We offer a variety of wildlife courses relevant for careers working in a zoo

Those working in zoos increasingly have the opportunity to demonstrate to visitors, the reasons as to why it is important to respect animals and about the need for wildlife conservation.

As the emphasis on environmental enrichment increases, more zoos and safari parks are employing staff to look after the animals in their care as well as to conduct educational tours for visitors.

For more information about zoo careers and many other different careers with animals, please visit our careers section.

Having relevant training will ensure you have the best possible chance of getting a job working in a zoo.

Our recruitment team assist zoos and safari parks with filling their vacancies and as a result, we have a good understanding of the type of training these employers are looking for and have developed accredited training courses to improve job prospects in many aspects of zoo animal care.

Zoo Jobs: The UK has taken the lead and campaigned for the adoption of the EU directive to establish minimum standards for zoos. This has led to a far greater focus on conservation and animal welfare issues.

This means that many zoos have changed purpose from existing purely for public entertainment, to now having an emphasis on the conservation of endangered wild species.  Sadly, not all zoos are forward thinking and unfortunately, many wild animals are still exhibited in appalling conditions with little attention paid to their physical or psychological well being. However, there is increasing pressure for badly managed zoos to improve conditions.