Animal Keeper

Emirates Park Zoo; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading wildlife facility in Abu Dhabi is seeking an enthusiastic individual for an animal care role, focusing on bird husbandry. Responsibilities include ensuring excellent care, public interactions, and maintaining aviaries. Candidates should have animal care experience and strong communication skills. The role requires working outdoors in various weather conditions.

Qualifications

• Must have one year of prior animal care experience at a controlled environment facility.
• Willingness to give talks to visitors and engage with the public.
• Ability to perform strenuous work and lift at least 25 kg repetitively.

Responsibilities

• Involve in bird husbandry and training.
• Setup aviaries for public exhibitions.
• Maintain hygiene and monitor birds' health.

Skills

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Enthusiasm for public interaction

Operant conditioning and enrichment techniques

Education

High school diploma or related field

Job description

Job Description

The successful candidate will be involved in various duties including bird husbandry, setting up aviaries, reporting to supervisors, and ensuring excellent animal care.

• Involve in bird husbandry (including training and enrichment)
• Setting up aviaries for exhibiting to the public considering both the bird’s and the public’s needs
• Reporting to supervisor
• Excellent animal care
• Feeds, waters, and cleans quarters of bird’s collection
• Adds vitamins or medication to food as prescribed by Vets under supervision
• Fills water containers and places food in cages or aviaries as specified
• Cleans bird’s quarters, using rake, water hose, and disinfectant
• Observes birds to detect illnesses and injuries and notifies supervisor or vet health care department of findings
• Monitors birds’ health, breeding conditions, and behavior
• Involve transportation from one enclosure to another for purposes such as breeding, rearrangement of exhibits, or shipping if needed
• Sets temperature and humidity controls of quarters as specified
• Hand raising if needed
• Handling, Captures and restrains animal
• Hygiene management to prevent disease
• Ability to build relationships with animals
• Visitor interactions including scheduled on-ground talks to our guests, answers visitors' questions concerning bird habits or zoo operations
• Completes daily worksheets listing the amount of food eaten, etc
• Maintain the highest level of safety in the work area through implementation of safety protocols and procedures to ensure safety for the animal and visitors
• Participate in and support collaborative efforts pertaining to the care of the collection including training, enrichment, research, and education
• Actively foster constructive attitudes and a team orientation among staff
• Contributes to conservation activities as assigned
• Support the goals of EPZ departments’ collection plan, strategic and Master Plans
• Oversee activities of interns and volunteers
• Participate in workshops, training sessions if needed to improve job knowledge and professional development
• May assist vets in treatment of animals for illnesses and injuries
• May assist animal trainer or instructor in presentation of programs, shows, or lectures
• A large percentage of duties are performed outdoors in various weather conditions, ranging from rain, wind, cool to cold weather, and extreme heat and humidity

Requirements

• High school, zoology, or related field is preferred
• One year of prior animal care experience (paid) at a controlled environment facility
• Good communication skills, an enthusiasm for interacting with the public, and a willingness to give regular talks to visitors, special groups, etc
• Familiar with operant conditioning and enrichment techniques
• Must be able to function as a team member and support zoo’s mission
• Must be dependable and demonstrate flexibility regarding work schedules
• Must be willing to work weekends and holidays
• Must be able to work outdoors in inclement weather
• Must be able to perform strenuous work and lift at least 25 kg repetitively, bending, lifting, etc
• English is must, Arabic is preferred
• Must be willing to work with different cultures and nationalities
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered