How can I work with animals at a zoo?

Question

Well, my real question is this...I really love animals and would love to one day work with them at a zoo, wildlife preserve, or basically my desire is to work with exotic animals...I am looking into vet tech schools at the moment but of course I have been getting some negative feedback about the profession...but it seems like a vet tech school would be the first step I could take...I dont know...HELP! Any advice or anything you could share would be great!

oh yeah...does anyone have comments on the salaries they make? please help!

Answer 1

Okay, a few things to get you going.

First off, working in a zoo is a lot of hard work. One of the best ways you can find out if you are suited for such work is to contact a nearby zoo about volunteer opportunities (this is how I got started). Most zoos have such programs in place, and many of those have programs where you can work with the keepers as an "assistant" of sorts which is basically to help prepare diets and clean up after the animals. It is long, hard work and just because it is raining or snowing doesn't mean you don't get to go inside, so you have to be prepared to work in all sorts of weather.

If you do that and find that you still want to work with animals, great! Being a vet tech is a great idea, but it won't promise you a job in a zoo and you will work in the hospital rather than out with the animals themselves. When I first started volunteering at a zoo as a kid, I wanted to be a wild animal (bush) vet or zoo vet. I volunteered in the hospital and out in the areas as a keeper assistant and found that I didn't want to work in the hospital where I would only see the animals when they are sick or injured. By the way, vet techs spend a lot of time running lab tests, so they don't work with animals the entire day necessarily.

Okay, that all said, let's say you did volunteer at a zoo and enjoyed it and still want to work with animals. If you have decided you want to work more as a keeper, then when in college focus on biology. You can focus your biology degree electives on zoology and other animal related classes. If you decide you want to be a vet tech, then look for a school with that program. It is a great job, one that is essential to the operations of vet offices and animal hospitals (those in zoos included).

Another thing to add, if you decide you want to be a vet tech, you may want to contact local vet's offices, as well, and see if they have volunteer opportunities or internships as well so you can see more in depth the day to day actions of vets and vet techs. It would be with domesticated animals rather than exotic, but much of the processes are the same.

Now, as far as salaries...well, vets make more money than keepers and vet techs, but in a zoo situation, they don't make as much as if they owned a practice. Vet techs and zookeepers do not make the best money out there, generally speaking. Most zoos have a process of rewarding consistant workers with periodic raises, so you won't be stuck at the same low level entry money as when you start.

Answer 2

Love of animals is Not a good reason to work with animals. Respect for all living things comes first. Two major components when working with animals. How well you jell with animals. How well animals take to you. You may love animals, but unless you have spent a great deal of time interacting with them, that is pretty much meaningless, cause animals don't love people. Because animals are incapable of love. Animals have instincts about people. Ask any zoo employee. Some animals will not tolerate some people, who knows, maybe they don't like your scent.

There are not any vet tech schools. Most the people that work as vet techs have a biology related degree. What a vet looks for when hiring people is the way that person gets along with animals, is smart, wont freak out when things get freaky, and does what is told to do. If you complain about cleaning cages, you wont be employed very long.

I can assure you, the inside world at zoos, wildlife parks, vet offices, are not as they appear in TV.

Answer 3

Visit a zoo in your area and talk with someone about professional opportunities in animal care. Never mind that people are giving negative feedback about your wanting to be a vet tech. That's not their concern and they should mind their own business. It's your decision to make.

Answer 4

i dont think of they must be banned bc some animals are injured and the zoos save them from loss of life interior the wild i think of that if the animals CAN proceed to exist interior the wild ... they must be allowed to and not be captured yet maximum animals have been injured or chanced on harm and taken to zoos and that they stay there now bc they cant proceed to exist interior the wild yet while they have healthful babies oftentimes the zoos attempt to get them familiar with residing interior the wild so they'd launch them bc zoos oftentimes dont prefer to maintain healthful animals which could proceed to exist interior the wild theyll launch them while they think of the animals is waiting and would hunt his prey and proceed to exist aroudn different animals i dont think of zoos must be banned in basic terms bc they do help animals and that they by no ability... properly i desire by no ability... harm or abuse the animals so theres particularly no injury accomplished until eventually they are caught in small cages... yet oftentimes zoos have enormous lakes or rivers or sections that are sufficient room and applicable for the animals zoos interior the U. S. are doing stable bc in the event that they hit upon a unwell animals..it possibly will die in case you go away it interior the wild so theyll nurse it back to wellness and launch it or save it if its horribly injured i loveee animals and that i think of they shouldnt be injured for any ability achievable yet zoos dont harm them .. they are properly fed and cared for by ability of expert zookeepers