Job opportunities

Keeper, Maternity cover, Ungulates

Job type: Full-time / maternity cover, 12 month contract

Shift and schedule: five day week including weekends and Bank Holidays. Winter hours 36.5 pw Summer hours 41.5 pw

 

About us

The zoo First opened in May 1937, it covers an area of approximately 40 acres. This unique site includes two scheduled monuments – an 11th century castle and limestone caverns – and 12 Grade 2 listed Tecton buildings (four Grade 2*). Original owner the Third Earl of Dudley converted Dudley Castle’s grounds into zoological gardens. A team of Modernist architects to design the zoo. Using reinforced concrete, they created a revolutionary new design of building: Tectons. The structures have stood the test of time and eight decades on Dudley Zoo has the world’s largest single collection of Tectons, which in 2009 received World Monument Status. Dudley Zoo now has a variety of animal housing, paddocks and enclosures which are home to our wide variety of 200 species. We are proud that, the animal collection is linked to international conservation and breeding programmes and several of our global projects have received awards. Endangered species include Asiatic lions, Sumatran tigers, Bornean orangutans, Tibetan red pandas, Rothschild giraffes, Madagascan lemurs and Humboldt penguins.

The Ungulate department is a mixed taxa section responsible for Our Giraffe, Tapirs, Capybara, Barbary sheep, short clawed Asiatic otters, Red Panda, Parma wallabies, Bennetts’s wallaby, Meerkats, the department also covers the Reptile house and castle creatures. 

 

Candidates should have at demonstrable previous experience of working in a zoo environment and have ideally have an in-depth experience of working with a variety of ungulate species.

 

Duties include but not limited to:

 

Animal nutrition across a range of species

Animal Enrichment & Husbandry

Enclosure cleaning and maintenance

Assisting with professional visits, such as vets

Medication and rehabilitation of animals when required

Visitor experiences such and meet and greets and keeper for the day

 

Skills and Qualities

 

Effective decision making

Excellent communication skills

Excellent observational skills

Forward thinking

Good forward planner

Self-motivated and Proactive

Hard working

Passionate

Good Team worker

 

 

Desired Qualifications

Animal care

The zoo animal management qualification (DMZAA) or equivalent

 

Shared accommodation may be available if required

 

A current driving licence will be an added advantage.