Flamingos, Budgies, and Psittacines, OH MY! From conducting informal presentations and behind the scenes tours with guests, to performing the daily husbandry tasks for our many species of birds, our Seasonal Encounters Keepers are always busy! The Indianapolis Zoo is seeking energetic individuals with exceptional public speaking skills to join our Encounters flock for the 2024 season! This position will work closely with a variety of birds species and ambassador animals assisting with husbandry and enrichment.
Ideal candidates are committed to advancing the Zoo's mission to protect nature and inspire people to care for our world. Having a professional attitude and appearance to visitors, volunteers, and co-workers is vital to the position as well as being a team-oriented individual that is temperamentally suited to work with the public and a variety of bird species. Prior experience working with soft bill, psittacine, and/ or flamingo is highly desired. This seasonal (40 hours. per week) position will work from the months of April until October with a pay rate of $13.00/ hr. Weekends, holidays, overtime and/ or varied shift work is required.
Position Requirements And Experience
Minimum of one (1) year of animal care experience preferably with birds.
Comfortability conducting informal presentations, chats, and feeds to the public throughout the day.
Ability to work indoors and outdoors under all environmental conditions and temperatures.
Ability to ascend/ descend ladders, steps, and uneven terrain, while maintaining body equilibrium while performing various jobs.
Exceptional visual acuity is required, along with the ability to communicate, comprehend, and decipher information accurately, using a two-way radio.
Interpretation responsibilities with mixed species aviaries and/ or the flamingo yard.
The ability to perform daily husbandry task and manual work involving the care and maintenance of the animals and exhibits under this position's care.
Must possess exceptional public speaking skills and the ability to provide outstanding customer service to our guests.
Directly responsible for health and well-being of the collections assigned to this position's care.
Must follow all safety Policies and Procedures of the Indianapolis Zoo.
Possible occupational exposure (Category B employee) to human bloodborne pathogens. Possible exposure to dangerous chemicals (e.g. chlorine bleach, cleaning agents, etc.) Must follow Universal Protection Precautions and Bloodborne Pathogens Guidelines.
Will be required to learn and implement species quarantine procedures as directed by Assistant Curator of Ambassador Animals & Encounters.
Prior work experience involving animal care is strongly preferred. College course work in a suitable animal-related field may be substituted for work experience.
High school diploma or equivalent is required. Bachelor's degree in a Life Science area from an accredited college/university in life sciences is strongly preferred.
To Apply
Interested candidates must complete an online application.
Interested applicants must include a resume, cover letter, and salary requirements to be considered.
Employment at the Indianapolis Zoo is contingent upon the successful completion of pre-employment testing including a background check, motor vehicle check (if applicable) and a drug test.
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Since most of these jobs are popular, there are often more applicants than positions. You should expect strong competition and salaries considered low relative to the level of education necessary to perform them. And these jobs aren't easy. Caring for animals can require around-the-clock attention in some settings.
Individuals must be at least 18 years of age to be an Intern or Adult Volunteer. Students between the ages of 14-18 are eligible to be a Zoo Teen. What is the volunteer time commitment?
As of Aug 7, 2024, the average hourly pay for a Zoo Workers in California is $24.86 an hour. While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $36.06 and as low as $12.10, the majority of Zoo Workers salaries currently range between $17.07 (25th percentile) to $23.03 (75th percentile) in California.
Zookeepers care for animals in zoos. They plan diets, feed animals, and monitor the animals eating patterns. They also clean the animals enclosures, monitor their behavior, and watch for signs of illness or injury. Depending on the size of the zoo, they may work with one species or multiple species of animals.
Zoo keepers generally work eight-hour days and the bulk of the work involved is outside during all weather conditions. The physical tasks usually include lots of walking (up to 10km a day), raking enclosures, shovelling, using wheelbarrows and repetitive lifting.
However, even with limited contact, the relationships that develop between zoo keepers and the animals they care for are often strong and can be the most rewarding aspect of the job. One of a zoo keeper's most important -- and fun -- duties is to provide daily enrichment for the animals.
The old zoo closed in 1987. The current zoo at White River State Park opened on June 11, 1988, with a size of 64 acres (26 ha). Jeffrey Bonner began his tenure as the zoo's president and chief executive officer in January 1993.
Prohibited at the Zoo: smoking (including vapor cigarettes), weapons, recreational equipment, outside food or beverages. In order to not scare our younger guests, adults in full face paint or masks are not allowed. Anyone over the age of 12 will be asked to remove face paint before entering the Zoo.
To prevent tampering with or contaminating a urine sample, you may be monitored or observed while collecting urine. During urine collection monitoring, a trained staff member checks the restroom before you enter to collect your sample.
Discounted admission tickets to the Indianapolis Zoo are now available for state of Indiana employees (employed by the state of Indiana government) and their guests.
Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium, & Safari Park pay FAQs
The average Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium, & Safari Park hourly pay ranges from approximately $16 per hour (estimate) for a Ticket Seller to $27 per hour (estimate) for an Education Specialist.
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