In most zoos, wildlife parks, and conservation centers, education and experience are required to work as an animal keeper. Many people who worked in such facilities in the past started at the bottom, learning as they went and eventually rising to senior positions. Most facilities now require at least a bachelor’s degree from anyone who wants to work as an animal keeper, and they may also require specialized training from their keepers, also known as animal attendants or animal caretakers.
The stricter qualification requirements for animal keepers reflect changing zookeeping and conservation industry norms. While it was important to keep the animals alive in order to maintain profitability, such facilities were less interested in breeding programs and were often unconcerned if the animals did not thrive in captivity. Most animal keepers nowadays are concerned with conservation; they want to keep their charges happy and healthy so that they can live long lives and reproduce.
Someone who is serious about becoming an animal keeper should begin gaining experience with animals as soon as possible. Working for a veterinarian, farrier, animal shelter, or a willing zoological park during high school will provide experience working with animals. A future animal keeper should pursue degrees in zoology, behavioral science, and related fields in college. Animal keeping programs are available at some colleges and universities, and they are highly competitive but provide excellent training.
Someone pursuing a career as an animal keeper in college should plan on continuing to work with animals in order to gain a diverse range of experience. Summer fieldwork with people who work with and study wild animals is one of the opportunities available to college students. After graduation, students can continue their education or apply to work as a beginning keeper at zoological parks. She or he will work under the supervision of an experienced keeper at first, but eventually, she or he will be able to advance to a more senior position.
It takes a lot of effort to keep animals. A person who wishes to work as an animal keeper must be physically fit, willing to work irregular hours, and patient. The best animal keepers form bonds with their charges and may stay with them for the rest of their lives. A keeper who knows an animal well can detect early signs of disease and unhappiness, and may also participate in research, contributing to the body of knowledge on animal care by drawing on daily experiences with animal charges.