Primate Keeper

British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA); Greater London; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Permanent Contract

28 days holiday

In house training budget

Free staff parking

Free entrance to the zoo

Uniform

30% staff food discount

40% staff drinks & snacks discount

20% animal experiences discount

10% gift shop discount

Job summary

Wingham Wildlife Park is seeking an ambitious animal care team member to join our dedicated staff. You will contribute to husbandry, enrichment and training across a diverse primate section, while engaging the public through talks and demonstrations.

We value self-motivation, initiative and strong timekeeping, with a UK driving licence or good transport links as an asset. The role is full-time, outdoors in all weather, with weekend and holiday shifts expected.

Qualifications

• Experience in a zoo setting with similar species.
• Able to communicate one-to-one and lead talks to large crowds.
• Willing to work weekends, school holidays and bank holidays.

Responsibilities

• Day-to-day husbandry of the animals in the section, including diet prep, observations, enrichment and training with positive reinforcement.
• Keep comprehensive observations and notes when working with animals.
• Adhere strictly to safe working practices and maintain clean exhibits and areas.

Skills

Public speaking

Zoo experience

Teamwork

Self-motivation

Initiative

Timekeeping

Animal husbandry

UK driving licence

Job description

Wingham Wildlife Park

South East Closing date for applications is: 5th Sep 2026

Contact: Mr Matthew Jay ([e-mail]) Sector: Animal Care Type: Paid Contract type: Full-time Salary: £27,476.80 per annum

We are looking for an ambitious individual to join our animal care team. If you want to be part of one of the UK's fastest growing zoos and are interested about the prospect of being part of something new, this position might be for you.

Wingham Wildlife Park is a family run wildlife park with big emphasis on animal husbandry, conservation, education and safety for our animals, staff, and visitors. We are looking for a likeminded "team player" who would fit in amongst our animal care team. This role will cover a range of species on our primate section from Callitrichidae, Senegal Bushbabies, Lemurs, Vervet Monkeys, Night Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys, Capuchins, Colobus, Howler Monkeys, Mandrills, Macaques, Gibbons, Chimpanzees, Orangutans and a variety of other species.

The Candidate Will

• Be able to communicate on a one-to-one basis as well as leading public talks to large crowds.
• Have proven experience working in a zoo setting (preferably with similar species)
• Be able to work as part of a team and on their own.
• Must be self-motivated and willing to expand their knowledge about our animal collection.
• Be able to demonstrate initiative and a pro-active approach to completing tasks beneficial to the sections without always waiting to be asked.
• Have exceptional time keeping skills.
• Show excellent practical animal husbandry skills.
• Have a valid UK driving licence or have good access to transport links.

The Role Involves

• Day to day husbandry of the animals covered by the section, including diet preparation, observations, enrichment, and positive reinforcement training.
• Excellent observational and note keeping skills when working with the animals at the park.
• Strict adherence to safe working practices.
• Cleaning and maintaining exhibits and other designated areas.

Benefits

• Permanent Contract
• 28 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays)
• In house training, plus access to an extensive training budget covering external workshops, conferences, symposia, and online courses.
• Free staff parking
• Free entrance to the zoo on your days off plus 5 complimentary day tickets per year
• Uniform
• 30% staff food discount
• 40% staff drinks & snacks discount
• 20% animal experiences discount
• 10% gift shop discount

This full-time position (40 hours per week) requires people to be comfortable working outdoors in all weather conditions. This position also requires people to be able to work on weekends, during school holidays and on bank holidays.

You must be eligible to work in the UK.

Unfortunately, we are unable to give comment on unsuccessful applications.