Jobs in Cape Town, South Africa

Zookeeping involves managing and maintaining zoo animals and their environment. A typical zookeeper has a bachelor's degree in a relevant field and earns around $30,000 a year. While job openings for zookeepers are only increasing slowly, general animal care and service workers are expected to see growth at a higher than average rate.

Zookeepers are responsible for the wellbeing of the animals living in zoos. The job requires a keeper to routinely complete a number of tasks for the animals, such as bathing, feeding and exercising.

Zookeepers must follow very specific feeding instructions for each animal, and keepers are often expected to work weekends and holidays to ensure the animals are fed routinely. They must provide drinking water for the animals, keep their living spaces clean, and help train or entertain them.

Much of a zookeeper's job involves monitoring the animals and making sure they do not become sick or injured. They keep notes on their eating habits, watch for odd behavior, and provide veterinarians with relevant information about their health.

For those who wish to become zookeepers, a bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline is strongly advisable as job competition is intense, even though job growth is strong. Zookeepers must know how to handle different types of animals and their temperaments. Salaries vary, depending on experience and the employer, but the median pay for zookeepers in 2016 was around $30,000.

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