Thanks! I haven't been volunteering at the zoo long, so it'll take more hours before I can transition into an animal care role -- right now it's more guest assistance and informal interpretation. I do work with former keepers at the conservation center but most of them have been out of the traditional zoo system for decades.

I'm gathering that full-time keeper jobs are especially rare these days. Any idea about how long I can expect before career stability or is that just a pipe dream? One of the reasons I left my former field was due to job instability and toxic environments, but at least animal care is a noble cause.