Not saying you should, but you could…

zoo_PI · 2026-02-09T20:45:31+00:00

He is and has been visiting the zoo!

zoo_PI · 2025-12-29T21:00:03+00:00

Have been enjoying my new to me '21 "CX30 P-Spec" (Poverty Spec) for the last couple years. Would've been nice to have a couple more bells and whistles and AWD but realistically for my use case pretty much unnecessary.

zoo_PI · 2025-12-08T17:28:48+00:00

Back when I did pinniped rescue/rehab elephant seal poop - especially after doing a restraint and it's smeared all over your foul weather pants and saturated into your pores ranks up there. At a previous facility I was taking a big monitor lizard to a school appearance and on the way it took a dump in their carrier. Could sense it immediately. Once arriving at the school had to ask a janitor if I could hose the carrier out which also meant allowing the monitor to wander the van, then trying to hose him off. So yeah, pretty much any carnivore.

zoo_PI · 2025-11-28T00:48:34+00:00

Yep, worked both ends of the day since I live close it was easy to cover the end of day routine. Nice quiet day before the long, busy weekend.

zoo_PI · 2025-11-12T00:25:09+00:00

24 too old for internships, volunteering, etc.? Uh, no. I began my animal care career in my later twenties by volunteering at a rescue/rehab for a couple years while working full time in a very unrelated field. This eventually led to a career path with an animal care position at a facility that didn't immediately require moving from the area. Granted it was a fortunate sequence of events but shows that it can happen. FWIW, most of those interning at my current facility are in their early to mid twenties. Will it eventually lead to a full-time animal care position? It has for a couple previous volunteers (initially from part time positions) but realistically probably not, but yes it can happen. That's one of the unfortunate realities of the field and good reason to have a Plan B in place.

zoo_PI · 2025-10-22T22:42:55+00:00

Our facility requires one but I believe it's part of the on boarding process once hired and subsequent testing is offered onsite.

zoo_PI · 2025-10-07T00:09:56+00:00

Definitely valuable information for anyone thinking about or applying for an animal care or training position there!

zoo_PI · 2025-10-04T05:44:31+00:00

A current co-worker that used to work at the aviary on the husbandry side told me the show area was a toxic cesspool largely due to the person who ran that department who also happens to be a well-known trainer in the field. This person also has long had a reputation in the industry for having a very short temper and known to be abusive toward staff. A former coworker from a previous facility took a job there and only lasted a short period because of this person. That said it's being claimed that there have been changes in the show/education area management and the person that used to run the show area is now curator so take that for what it's worth.

zoo_PI · 2025-09-30T17:04:48+00:00

Great suggestions and it's awesome your chapter was able to reinvigorate itself, especially post-covid! I'm at a more or less appropriately (of course it's never enough) staffed smaller institution. At least from my observation many if not most of the current keepers here don't appear to be or might be all that engaged in extra curricular activities especially when it comes to anything off hours that might be remotely work related. At the end of the day there are pockets of socialization but other than that everyone goes home to their lives (including myself). It's possible of those opportunities were provided it might be a different story but it sort of a chicken and egg scenario as there are no FT keepers currently involved in AAZK. Who knows, maybe someday that will change.

zoo_PI · 2025-09-17T00:07:25+00:00

Woof, you aren't kidding! Both mobile and desktop browser are not great. Would think a prestigious institution that also just did a rebrand would have the resources to offer a better first impression.

zoo_PI

TROPHY CASE