Elephant Keeper: Behavioral Training & Herd Care

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 50,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Union pay rates

PTO hours

Competitive benefits

Employee Assistance Programs

Core values culture

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden seeks an experienced Elephant Keeper for the Asian Elephant Program. The role focuses on daily care, behavioral management, and long-term success of a multi-generational herd.

Qualifications include protected contact experience and operant conditioning. Willingness to work weekend shifts and collaborate with veterinary staff is essential. Competitive benefits accompany this full-time role.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years professional elephant care experience in the last 10 years
• Experience with protected contact management system
• Demonstrated experience with operant conditioning and positive reinforcement training

Responsibilities

• Provide daily husbandry care including feeding, habitat maintenance, enrichment and behavioral observation
• Participate in a protected contact elephant management program following safety protocols
• Monitor elephant behavior and welfare and report abnormalities to supervisors and veterinary staff
• Maintain clean and safe indoor and outdoor elephant facilities
• Support exercise, enrichment and environmental management programs that promote natural behaviors

Skills

Elephant care

Protected contact

Operant conditioning

Behavioral observations

Teamwork

Education

Degree in Zoology/Biology/Animal Science

Job description

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden seeks an experienced Elephant Keeper for the Asian Elephant Program. The role focuses on daily care, behavioral management, and long-term success of a multi-generational herd.

Qualifications include protected contact experience and operant conditioning. Willingness to work weekend shifts and collaborate with veterinary staff is essential. Competitive benefits accompany this full-time role.