LisaAnnOKane
Tampa, FL
Female, 32
During my zookeeping and environmental education career, I have interacted and worked with a variety of animals, including brown bears, wolverines, red foxes, moose, camels, mountain goats, dolphins, sea lions, raccoons, porcupines, snakes, raptors and ravens. I am also a young adult author, and my debut novel ESSENCE was released in June 2014 by Strange Chemistry Books. Ask me anything!
Hi Elena, I hate to admit it, but I know almost nothing about marine invertebrates like jellyfish, starfish, crustaceans and anemones. I know they're awesome; just don't ask me how their biological processes work! ;)
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Hi Milan, you are typically not hired to be an animal trainer unless you have a cohesive understanding of the principles of animal training as well as experience working with animals. (These could be domestic or exotic animals, but exotic experience is always a plus.) Most animal trainers begin their careers by volunteering in zoos, aquariums or vet hospitals while they are in school, and then they become interns and/or apprentices before finally working their way up to becoming animal trainers after they graduate.
Once they finally become trainers, they still typically shadow other trainers while they get used to their specific animals. Then, slowly but surely, they begin their own training sessions.
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Hi Belle! Cats will typically display very different behaviors when they are playing versus when they are fighting. When they are playing, their posture is quite relaxed and "loose," while fight posture is typically very tense, with pinned ears and coiled muscles. Also, cat fights are typically very short and VERY vocal, with lots of hissing, howling and screaming--generally followed by the loser's hasty retreat. Cat wrestling matches are usually fairly quiet, and the wrestling may go on for several minutes with short breaks in between for the animals to regroup and "catch their breath." Hope this helps!
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Dogs definitely have a great sense of smell, but you're right. There are many other members of the animal kingdom whose senses of smell is just as good, if not better. Therefore, trainability is certainly a huge factor in our decision to use dogs as service animals.
Some other powerful sniffers are horses, cows, mice, rats and opossums (just to name a few). And the reputed best sniffer in the world is the African elephant. Definitely don't want those tramping down the airport security lines!
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Hi Lydia, and so sorry for the delay in my response. With any animal, zookeepers are responsible for providing a safe and secure environment, mental and physical stimulation, a healthy diet, proper veterinary care, and opportunities for the animal to engage in natural behaviors like digging, swimming, nesting, etc. For pandas, this would include providing a habitat similar to their natural habitat, environmental enrichment specifically designed to solicit problem solving and natural responses, and a well-balanced diet that replicates the nutritional needs the animal would receive in the wild.
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Hi Emma! This is definitely the Catch-22 of animal training, but the good news is that almost all zoos will accept internship experience for this. The majority of internships are seasonal, unpaid and 40+ hours per week, so they are definitely a big time/financial commitment. However, they are often the foot in the door you need to later snag a paid position--whether at that particular zoo or elsewhere. Many places even actively recruit their interns at the end of their internships if they have openings. Definitely worth the temporary sacrifice if you can swing it!
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Hi Potato, and thanks so much for the question. The best part for me--hands down--is the relationships I have been able to form with the animals in my care. Outsiders don't often realize animals have preferences for different keepers just like we have preferences for different animals. To me, there is no better feeling in the world than when an animal you love "chooses you," too.
The worst part, unfortunately, is the salary. You have to be prepared to sacrifice a LOT in order to work as a zookeeper in the long-term. Either that, or you need to work a second job or rely on some financial support from your spouse or family.
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