Temporary Zookeeper

Zoo New England; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Zoo New England is seeking an Animal Care Specialist to support daily care and welfare for a group of captive animals. You will help with nutrition, health monitoring, and enrichment while contributing to conservation, education, and guest experiences.

You will observe animals for signs of illness, record data in the ZIMS system, and participate in wellness exams and research projects as needed. The role requires teamwork and flexibility, including weekend and holiday work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or 2+ years of experience in animal care
• Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19
• TB testing current if working in primate areas
• Must be able to lift at least 50 lbs
• Valid driver's license and ability to drive a full-size vehicle
• Willingness to learn and work independently or as part of a team
• Ability to work weekends, holidays, and overtime
• English language proficiency for instruction and communication

Responsibilities

• Care for a group of captive animals and contribute to welfare, conservation, education and customer service
• Prepare diets and monitor food quality and spoilage
• Observe animals for health and behavior, report concerns, and record observations in ZIMS
• Support wellness exams and medical husbandry training
• Maintain safe exhibits and assist with safety protocols and pest control
• Assist in research projects to improve animal care
• Engage guests through tours, interviews, and animal interactions
• Participate in trainings and team meetings

Skills

English communication

Observation skills

Teamwork

Ability to lift 50 lbs

Education

Bachelor's degree or 2+ years of animal care experience

Tools

ZIMS digital records

Job description

Essential Job Functions

Responsible for the daily care and continuous improvement of welfare of an assigned group of captive animals, while contributing to conservation, education, science, and customer service.

Responsible for the daily care and continuous improvement of welfare of an assigned group of captive animals, while contributing to conservation, education, science, and customer service.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Participates in procedures designed to meet the nutritional needs of animals. This includes preparing diets according to specifications, checking food for spoilage, feeding animals according to procedures aligned with natural history.
• Cleans exhibits and adjacent public areas to ensure sanitary and safe conditions by hosing, scrubbing, sweeping, raking, shoveling, and disinfecting to remove urine, feces, unconsumed food, litter, poisonous plants, and foreign objects.
• Observes animals for unusual behaviors or appearance, signs of illness or injury, aggression, breeding, births, egg laying, hatching, deaths, and eating habits. Reports concerns to his/her/their supervisor and records daily observations in the digital record system (ZIMS).
• Continuously monitors, evaluates, and seeks to improve animal wellness. Develops objectives, strategies and tactics to satisfy and enrich the animals. Provides approved items and methods in accordance with zoo policy.
• Cooperates with existing, operant conditioning sessions to continuously assess and improve animal wellness through husbandry and health of the animals.
• Promotes animal health through assisting with medical husbandry training, participating in wellness exams and other veterinary procedures, administering medication in accordance with veterinary instructions, providing regular updates on animals under treatment or monitoring plans and participating in integrated pest control management. As assigned by his/her supervisor, assists in research projects designed to improve animal care.
• Contributes to safety of animals, team members, and guests by maintaining habitat security through the use of locks, latches, hasps, etc.; shifting animals into adjacent spaces; following established husbandry procedures; and routinely checking for, mitigating, and reporting safety hazards.
• Contributes to a positive guest experience through guest interactions, answering questions, conducting tours, animal experiences, and interviews as needed.
• Maintains exhibits, off-exhibit holding areas, public areas and grounds. Monitors heating systems, records temperatures; records operation of equipment, fabricates minor exhibit repairs and enhancements to provide attractive, safe and comfortable spaces for animals and zoo guests. Removes snow to provide access for staff and animals. Identifies larger needs and submits requests for work orders to his/her/their supervisor / lead keeper as needed.
• Exhibit positive attitude, affect, attitude, articulation and affability sharing skills and knowledge with co-workers, positively contributing to departmental meetings and making recommendations regarding husbandry, exhibition, and development of standards and procedures. Promotes good communication with team members, supervisors, and other departments.
• Participates in team, department, and facility trainings.

Physical Demands

• Constantly moves about on foot from one animal area to another.
• Frequently raises/lowers, transports, and positions heavy objects such as bags of grain and bales of hay weighing up to 50 pounds from truck to ground, from ground to barrels or pallets grasping with hands and arms, to maintain food stock and supplies.
• Frequently reaches, pushes, pulls and throws objects with hands such as to open and close doors/gates, or deliver food to animals at a distance.
• Frequently uses good balance to climb, ascend/descend stairs and ladders, works atop rockwork, and traverses uneven or slippery exhibit terrain to clean enclosures and feed animals.
• Frequently stoops, kneels, or crouches to work, such as to clean, feed or observe animals.
• Frequently converses with guests, co-workers and contractors to exchange accurate information for animal welfare, education and safety purposes. Must be able to inspect, detect and identify animal health and welfare concerns and safety issues using hearing (radio).
• Frequently inspects, detects and identifies animal health and welfare concerns and safety issues.

Work Conditions

• Constantly working in outdoor climatic conditions including rain, extreme cold or heat, and humidity.
• Frequently working around moving mechanical parts such as hydraulic doors, fans, pumps, heaters, etc.
• Frequently exposed to and working in close contact with a variety of exhibit animals (including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects), animal waste, dander, feathers, hay, dust, allergens and contagious diseases.
• Frequently handling toxic and/or hazardous materials for cleaning enclosures and medicating animals.
• Occasionally assist in emergencies and cope with high stress situations, e.g., Fire, hazmat, animal incident (Animal Recovery or Crowd Control Unit), human health or injury, natural disaster, criminal incident, resource loss or compromise, or emergency assistance to guests as directed.

Minimum Job Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or 2+ years of experience working as an animal care professional.
• Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
• If working regularly in primate areas TB tested negative within the last 12 months before starting and tested every 3 years thereafter.
• Must be able to lift at least 50 lbs.
• Must have a valid drivers' license in good standing and be able to drive a full-size vehicle on public roads.
• Must have the ability and willingness to enhance the knowledge and skills needed to provide professional animal care.
• Must have the ability and willingness to function independently and as a member of a team.
• Must have the ability to work for extended periods in harsh climatic conditions.
• Must have the ability to work safely around dangerous animals, chemicals, and around animals with contagious diseases.
• Must have no allergies, diseases, or conditions that would prevent working in any area of the Zoos.
• Must speak and read English and possess written and oral communication skills to understand instructions and information of a technical nature.
• Must have the ability and willingness to utilize computer skills including Microsoft Office products and digital record keeping tools (ZIMS).
• Must be able and willing to work weekends, holidays, and overtime.