Animal Care Professional - Elephants

Elephant Managers; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

The Animal Care Professional at Birmingham Zoo Inc. (BZI) supports daily animal husbandry and contributes to the health and wellbeing of the zoo's herd of African elephants.

The role involves monitoring behavior, maintaining habitats, preparing diets, providing enrichment, and accurate record-keeping. You will work as part of a cooperative team, emphasize safety and high standards of elephant care, and engage with guests through informative interactions that reflect the zoo's mission of

Responsibilities

• Daily animal husbandry and supporting animal health and wellbeing.
• Monitor behavior, maintain habitats, prepare diets, provide enrichment.
• Maintain accurate records and engage with guests through interactions.
• Work with the elephant care team to uphold high standards of safety and welfare.

Job description

Birmingham Zoo Inc. (BZI) is a nonprofit, Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited Zoo and regional tourist attraction serving the greater Birmingham community and beyond. We advance wildlife conservation through responsible animal care, education, and local and global conservation efforts in support of our mission, Inspiring Passion to Conserve the Natural World.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Animal Care Professional is responsible for performing daily animal husbandry and supporting animal health and wellbeing, including monitoring behavior, maintaining habitats, preparing diets, providing enrichment, maintaining accurate records, and engaging with guests through informal and formal interactions. This role contributes to safe, consistent, and high-quality animal care operations across the assigned department.

This position works with the Birmingham Zoo’s bachelor herd of African elephants, offering the opportunity to be part of a specialized team caring for one of the Zoo’s most iconic and complex species. The role requires strong teamwork, keen observational skills, consistency, and a commitment to maintaining high standards of elephant care and safety.

All employees serve as ambassadors of the Zoo and are expected to act in a professional manner consistent with the Zoo’s mission and its core values of Passion, Excellence, Teamwork, Stewardship, and Inclusion. This expectation applies when interacting with the public or when reasonably perceived as representing the organization.

The Elephant Managers Association (EMA) is an international, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization.