wowwwwww!!!!! You have an amazing job! LOL at the occellated turkey comment, Good luck with your career and everything, that sounds so rewarding. Its lovely being involved in the education side of things. I used to do the handling / public feeding sessions too, I can remember that feeling of getting to 3.30pm and thinking, I can't believe my job is to go see some sealions and talk about them. truly blessed! Whats your favourite part of the day?
Any real life animal keepers playing?!
- Thread starter Purple_Possum
- Start date
Thank you for sharing this!
How amazing you got to work with these animals, especially so many apes - very special!! Did you have a favourite species to work with out of that list?
I worked primarily in the primate area. It was since remade into an african area as the zoo moved to regional zones.
My favorites were the Orangutans. We had 4 when I was there, and each had his own personality and likes and dislikes.
There was this one obese Orangutan that kept on tricking guests into giving her sweets by faking hunger and even mimicking human crying.
I have taken a zookeeper education here in Denmark, which take around 4 years, with around 3/4 of the time being an intern in zoos. Only worked a bit in the field after finishing the education.
So I got roughly 3.5 years of experience with most of that time as an intern.
Not going to make a list right now, but I have been quite around the animal kingdom. Primates, small mammals, various marine creatures, reptiles, amphibians and insects.
That covers most of it.
Haven't worked as a keeper for around 3 years now.
I occasionally write text for signs for a private owned zoo nearby, but my current fulltime job isn't zoo or animal related.
So I got roughly 3.5 years of experience with most of that time as an intern.
Not going to make a list right now, but I have been quite around the animal kingdom. Primates, small mammals, various marine creatures, reptiles, amphibians and insects.
That covers most of it.
Haven't worked as a keeper for around 3 years now.
I occasionally write text for signs for a private owned zoo nearby, but my current fulltime job isn't zoo or animal related.
I mostly designed and ran programs for school groups, though i sometimes helped out with talks for the general public. My favourite class to teach was for senior highschool students (~16 -17 YO) and was, weirdly (since I'm not, at all, a chemist), about water chemistry. Specifically, it was mostly about buffers (Calcium carbonate as a buffer vs. acid) but I also segued into climate-change and ocean acidification. My favourite animals to talk about where clownfish (any age finds sequential hermaphrodism interesting / weird and Nemo meant they were always easy to engage) and cuttlefish beacuse they, along with other cephalopods, are just so, utterly, super cool and alien).As an educator I imagine you rotated roles in your job, what was your favourite animal to talk about?
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I used to be a zookeeper. I mostly worked with native birds and reptiles, though, and did a little bit here and there with ungulates since they're relatively low-maintenance. In terms of in-game species, the only ones I spent any meaningful time around were the zebras. I've done plenty of work with kiwis, kea, and so on, though (lots of stuff with blue ducks/whio and brown teals/pateke).
Prior to that I volunteered at a smaller wildlife park and worked a lot with fallow deer and ring-tailed lemurs.
Prior to that I volunteered at a smaller wildlife park and worked a lot with fallow deer and ring-tailed lemurs.
I was a falconer for many years so unfortunately the animals I've worked with most are not in the game (yet?!). We did expand to have a small mammals section so I have worked with badgers & meerkats. I did a bit of voluntary work with lions, hyenas, giraffes, caracals (again fingers crossed) and had some interesting interactions with african buffalo and ostriches in semi-captivity. So little bit of experience with some of the PZ species but until some raptors make it into the game (and or a toucan we had a random one of those who was a right pain) I don't have much experience. If we get vultures, eagles, falcons, hawks or owls I'll feel much more qualified.
I'm not a keeper but I once did an internship at a seal rehabilitation center (grey seals and harbour seals). That was such a cool experience!
But for the past almost five years I'm working at a large zoo as a guide which is the best side job ever! And on my tours I especially enjoy talking about elephants and big cats. And if everything goes as planned, I'm going to be a vet in a few months. Then I probably have to quit my lovely side job which will be a little bit sad, but then - of course - I'm going to be happy I'll finally have a fulltime job with animals.
But for the past almost five years I'm working at a large zoo as a guide which is the best side job ever! And on my tours I especially enjoy talking about elephants and big cats. And if everything goes as planned, I'm going to be a vet in a few months. Then I probably have to quit my lovely side job which will be a little bit sad, but then - of course - I'm going to be happy I'll finally have a fulltime job with animals.
When in Alaska, I above all else really liked talking about the seabirds, I had to frequently remind people not to touch them as some would get friendly close. I got special shoutouts online from people who enjoyed my octopus talks.Wow! That's awesome. Ive done a mix of keeping and educating, and mostly on grey seals too! Which is your favourite talk that you do? Thanks for your comment fellow seal person!
I liked talking about the Steller sea lions and the spotted seals. Their stories and personality’s were really fun to talk about.
My current job in Maine I like talking about the gray seals. For me they are the only species I am currently working around that are new to me switching coasts. Pointing out the difference between them and harbor seals plus their “horse like heads”.
I was an apprentice falconer until my teacher died last year. I worked with a Harris hawk, hope to one day have a goshawk (my favorite raptor)
Not a keeper, but I used to intern at a small zoo in Florida before moving away. I mostly worked in the walkthrough exhibits to make sure guests were behaving alright, but I also did some education work, food prep, and enrichment.
Species I worked with (or at least worked at their exhibits)
Species I worked with (or at least worked at their exhibits)
- Rainbow Lorikeet
- Cockatiel
- Galah
- Tawny Frogmouth
- Kookaburra
- Plumed Whistling Duck
- Red Kangaroo
- Emu
- Reeve’s Muntjac
- American Alligator
- American Crocodile
- Cownose Stingray
- African Rock Python
- Meerkat
- Scarlet Macaw
- Hyacinth Macaw
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Ha ha! Goshawks are really crazy birds. My boss used to breed and hunt them and I've never know so much determination to kill things distilled into such a small body (except Sparrowhawks). Sorry to hear you lost your teacher. I love Harris Hawks, they are by far the smartest of all the raptors except maybe Caracaras.
My personal favourites to fly are the falcons for their sheer speed and agility and the adrenaline rush when you are flying them to the lure. I also have a soft spot for the smaller owls that are smarter than their larger cousins (not hard)