I am 14 years old and my aspirations for the future is to work with animals. There is no other jobs out there that interest me at all, therefore I am really keen on starting out as early as I can to prepare for the future. One job that really peaks my interest is becomming a Zookeeper. But one question that lingers in my mind is how does one become such a thing?
Do you need to go to university and earn degrees in Biology and Zoology, or is there simpler ways such as enrolling in some courses at TAFE?
Should I start studying Zoology now, would that give me an advantage? Need some good advice! Thank you!
2007-07-09 14:36:46 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Wow, there is so much to tell you.
To start if you really want to be a zookeeper, once you are old enough get any job you can that deals with animals. Work at a pet store, vet clinic, nature center, etc. What is even better than that is if you can get a job at a zoo. Most zoos have what they call seasonal employees that consist mainly of high school and college age kids. They do everything from taking tickets, picking up trash, selling gifts and food to working with the animals. Zoos tend to be the type of place that love to hire from within. If you can get a seasonal job at a zoo TAKE IT, no matter what the job is. Even if is something you do not think you will like still take it, it will allow you to see how other areas of the zoo operate, you will get to know people and most of all you will get your foot in the door that much further.
As far as schooling goes. In many zoos a four year degree is not required but it helps a ton. A good number of zoos will sub a college degree for years of work experience (another reason to get your foot in the door at a zoo as soon as you can). You can also do the same with a two year degree, combine that plus experience to sub a four year degree. I still suggest to get your four year degree.
With what degree to get it really depends on what you want to do. For example if you are a bug type person you might want to look for a school that has entomology degrees. Overall though most full time keeper postions tend to be open when it comes to degrees. As long as you have a four year degree releated to animals (biology, zoology, natural resouces, etc) you will be fine. As you move through high school and get closer to college talk to your local zoo and see if there are any colleges they suggest.
Overall it will depend on you and what you want to do. For example if you are looking for marine bio there are some excellent schools in FL and CA. It will all depend on what you want to do as a keeper.
2007-07-09 15:32:10 · answer #1 · answered by The Cheshire 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Fantastic! You are about the same age I was when I really started focusing on animal work as a career for my future. If you live near a zoo or animal sanctuary, contact them. I bet you they have a volunteer program and may have one that is focused for teens.
I started at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Kentucky when I was 13. I did that for 6 years, a couple weekends a month during the school year (my choice) and once I got to know the place and they knew me and that I was trustworthy, I would volunteer up to 5 days a week.
The reason I suggest this is it was probably the best possible lesson into what the job was like. I was out there from the beginning of the day to the end, fixing diets, cleaning up after the animals, scrubbing the nighthouses and pools, etc. I got to watch the animals, see their personalities, start learning about animal husbandry, animal behavior, and their training as well.
It definitely helps for you to go to college and focus on biology at the least (you can actually specialize the biology degree in most schools by taking a lot of zoology and other animal oriented courses as your higher level electives). If you are truly interested in animals, start learning now on your own. There are a lot of books out there, you can join a bird watching club, things of that sort.
If you take nothing else from this post, take this, call your local zoo and ask about volunteering. It will open your eyes and give you a great amount of experience. I did, and now I work with orangutans in an ape sanctuary. It is definitely worth it.
2007-07-09 14:57:04 · answer #2 · answered by jade_calliope 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If I were you, I'd start out by applying for a job at a pet store or maybe helping someone out that you know who raises animals of some sort. What you'll really want to do before you get into college (if you so decide) is to read up on something that really interests you. They offer a lot of zoology and biology courses, which will really help you out in the long run when it comes to working with animals.
Good luck :)
2007-07-09 14:43:40 · answer #3 · answered by Pvt. Joker 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If I were you I would study now but don't stress. But this summer you could get a fun job that will hire you to be a volunteer at a animal shelter, petstore, or anything you could put on a resume to be a zookeeper. And then you could put that on your resume to be a Zooligist. Hope I helped!
2007-07-09 15:30:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋