Zookeeper
What the work is
Feeds, provides water for, and monitors the health of animals in zoos, aquaria and wildlife parks. Cleans, fixes and maintains animal enclosures, and informs visitors about animals.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Feeds and waters animals according to schedules and dietary requirements
- Monitors animal health and behaviour, reporting concerns
- Cleans and maintains animal enclosures
- Assists with the capture, restraint and transportation of animals
- Administers medications and treatments to animals under veterinary direction
- Conducts inspections of animal enclosures to identify and address safety hazards and maintenance issues
- Interacts with visitors and participates in education programs, providing information about animals and conservation efforts
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional wildlife park and training yard, with enclosures, a dog training field and a stable block. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- An anxious dog finally relaxes at a command, and the owner cheers
- A keeper's talk makes a group of school children look at an animal in a new way
- A young horse that was afraid of the saddle lets you settle it on his back
Hard days
- Early starts, wet weather and a lot of cleaning before the animals come first
- An owner who believes the dog is the problem when the habit is theirs
- A favourite animal becomes unwell, and you have to keep working through it
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 341134, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.