Keeper Megafauna / Hoofstock

The Caldwell Zoo; Tyler (TX); On-site; USD 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Health

Dental

Vision

Life insurance

Paid time off

Employee Free Admission to Park

Complementary Tickets for Friends / 2

Job summary

The Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas is seeking an Animal Keeper to provide daily care for elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and other hoofstock. The role involves cleaning enclosures, recording observations, and assisting with veterinary treatments and behavioral enrichment.

Strong background in large-mammal handling is required. Qualifications include a BS in Biology/Animal Science and experience with operant conditioning, veterinary procedures, and equipment operation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology or Animal Science preferred.
• Experience with African elephants, black rhino, giraffes, African hoofstock or Texas native hoofstock.
• Experience with operant conditioning and positive reinforcement.
• Experience developing or participating in hoof-care and hoof-trimming training.
• Experience training large mammals for veterinary procedures.
• Experience with protected contact elephant management and positive reinforcement training.
• Experience with heavy equipment operation (tractors, skid steers, or similar).
• Experience with browse collection, processing, and distribution.
• Experience conducting educational presentations or keeper talks.

Responsibilities

• Cleans and disinfects enclosures and equipment daily.
• Checks exhibits cleanliness, safety and structural soundness; takes corrective action.
• Keeps records: behavioral observations, veterinary treatment logs, diet records, transfer data.
• Performs veterinary treatments as prescribed by the veterinarian.
• Participates in behavioral enrichment activities, training and conditioning procedures, and capture/restraint protocols.
• Recognizes proper diets and feeding habits; monitors nutrition.
• Answers visitors’ questions about animals and zoo operations.
• Follows all safety policies and rules.
• Assists in training new keepers.

Skills

Animal care

Observation

Visitor communication

Reading & writing

Safety awareness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Biology or Animal Science

Tools

Heavy equipment operation (tractors, skid steers)

Hoof-care tools

Veterinary equipment handling

Job description

Job Title: Animal Keeper

Department: Mammals 1

Reports To: Curator of Mammals

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Animal Collection:

African Elephants, Giraffes, Black Rhino, African Hoofstock, and Native Texas Hoofstock.

Job Summary: Provides daily care and maintenance of assigned animals and their exhibits by performing the following duties.

Job Duties/Responsibilities:

• Cleans and disinfect animals’ enclosures and all equipment and tools associated with maintaining a safe and sanitary environment for the animals to live in on a daily basis.
• Checks exhibits and animal enclosures cleanliness as well as safety and structural soundness on a daily basis. Takes appropriate steps to remedy existing or potential problems.
• Keeps records including behavioral observations, veterinary treatment logs, diet records, and animal transfer data.
• Carries out veterinary treatments as prescribed by the veterinarian.
• Understands and participates in behavioral enrichments activities, training and conditioning procedures or protocols, and capture and restraint procedures.
• Recognizes proper animal diets and abnormalities in diets and animal feeding habits.
• Responds to questions from zoo visitors concerning animals’ habits and zoo operations in a helpful, friendly, courteous and informative way and make efforts to make visitors experience a positive one.
• Follows all safety policies and rules.
• Assists in training new keepers.

Education and/or Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree (BS) or equivalent from four-year college or university in Biology or Animal Science related field preferred.

Job Qualifications & Experience:

• Previous experience working with African elephants, black rhino, giraffes, African hoofstock, or Texas native hoofstock.
• Experience with operant conditioning, positive reinforcement, and voluntary husbandry training.
• Experience developing, maintaining, or participating in voluntary hoof-care and hoof-trimming training is highly desirable.
• Experience training large mammals for voluntary foot presentation, hoof inspection, routine hoof maintenance, and veterinary procedures.
• Experience with protected contact elephant management and positive reinforcement training.
• Experience with heavy equipment operation, including tractors, skid steers, or similar equipment.
• Experience with browse collection, processing, and distribution.
• Previous experience conducting educational presentations, keeper talks, or public animal demonstrations.

Language Skills:

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and the ability to speak effectively to visitors or employees of the zoo.

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to solve common sense understanding to carry out instructions and/or effectively and safely apply animal and zoo operation knowledge to new changing situations.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

• Valid Texas Driver License

Physical Requirements:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, talk or hear and taste or smell. Employee must be capable of moving quickly and good hearing and vision are necessary for safely performing the duties of this job. Employees are occasionally required to stack hay bales weighing in excess of 80 pounds.

Work Environment:

• While performing the duties of the job, the employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, outside weather conditions, extreme cold and extreme heat, and dangerous animals. The employee is occasionally exposed to high, precarious places and risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. In some cases employees are exposed to foul odors and/or dust.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental
• Health
• Vision
• Life insurance
• Group Term Life
• STD / LTD
• Group Accident
• Group Specific Disease
• Group Hospital
• Voluntary Life
• Voluntary AD&D
• Paid time off (accrual per pay period based on term length)
• Employee Discount at Concessions and Gift Shop
• Employee Free Admission to Park
• Complementary Tickets for Friends / Family

Work Location:

Caldwell Zoo

2203 Martin Luther King Blvd

Tyler, Texas 75702