Job opportunities

Zoo keeper

A rare and exciting opportunity has opened up to join our team of zoo keepers. The successful candidate will be working with various reptile species within our animal department.

Your role will include:

General:

Your primary focus will be the care of our reptiles. .

You will be responsible for the welfare and wellbeing of the animals, monitoring health issues and improving their enclosures to provide behavioural enrichment.

You will take instruction from the section leaders, working to priorities to achieve the best animal welfare.

Exhibit design and maintenance:

You will be required to assist in the day-to-day maintenance of exhibits so you will use small tools and do general DIY functions.

You will have input into exhibit design and building to provide the highest standards on animal care and efficiency of operations.

Record keeping:

You will help to keep animal records to meet all zoo legislation. You will follow all procedures on safe practice and hygiene regulations and records.

 Internal Communications:

You will play a key role in the Keeper team and as such attend all staff meetings and produce any required reports. You will be expected to play a positive and helpful role in developing a happy productive team working towards common objectives.

Health and Safety:

You will be required to support your line manager to ensure that Crocodiles of the World’s Safety arrangements are effective, consistent and well documented.

Animal experiences & animal talks:

This role will include daily public animal feeds and keeper experiences and helping to organise events.

 

Skills, Knowledge & Experience:

Essential

The post-holder must have two years’ experience working with reptiles. They will be mature in outlook, confident, hardworking, and practical. Common sense and the ability to concentrate and prioritise on the essentials of a task will be key elements of your personality. You will need to be prepared to work through peak times in what is a seasonal business.

• A minimum work history of two years of paid employment, working with a range of relevant species, in a zoo or wildlife park.
• Reptile husbandry and breeding.
• An understanding of animal management.
• Experience of captive animal husbandry.
• The ability and desire to enhance and develop your knowledge.
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
• Must be a team player with the ability to multi-task.
• Driving licence
• A genuine love of reptiles

Desirable

Experience in these areas is desirable; you must be able to demonstrate recent practical experience in many of the below.

• Animal records and ZIMS experience.
• Practical building work and construction.
• Experience giving public talks & demonstrations.
• Health and safety systems.
• A relevant animal qualification.