Some of our keepers have starred alongside their animals on television, most recently in ‘Zoo Story’ and previously in the BBC series ‘The Zoo Keepers’.
Zoo keeping is a demanding job, hard work but very satisfying for anyone wishing to work with exotic species.
The daily routine in the Zoo starts at about 8.00 a.m. with a check of the animals. Any illness or injury is reported to the Curator who then informs the Vet. Keepers have an important role to play. Their close relationship with the animals means that it is their responsibility to notice any changes in behaviour, whether an animal is off-colour, hungry or in season.
Cleaning and washing the enclosures and changing the bedding takes up a large proportion of the rest of the morning, along with the preparation of food. Fresh foods may be mixed with pre-packed scientifically developed pellet foods in order to fulfil the nutritional requirements of the animals and still provide an interesting and varied diet.
Zoo keepers have to make sure that their animals stay fit on the diet the Zoo provides, and feeding time also provides the opportunity for environmental enrichment by making the food available in a variety of ways. Instead of just presenting a bowl of food, some of the food items may be scattered around the enclosures or hidden in puzzles and feeders so that the animals must search for them and work out how to get at them. The goal of this environmental enrichment is to enhance the animals' lifestyles and encourage normal foraging behaviour.
Other duties of a Zoo keeper include the care of animals that are ill or injured, the recording of births and deaths and the monitoring of pregnant females and new-born young. If a mother rejects her young after birth, for whatever reason, the keepers may need to hand rear the young animal. This could mean feeding the infant at three hourly intervals throughout the day and night, depending on the species. Females with new young will need to be carefully monitored, and may require extra food and bedding.
Have a look at the pages in this section to find out more about our keepers and how you could become one! |
