How Can I Become an Animal Handler at a Zoo?

Zookeepers typically have a bachelor's degree.

Animal care and service workers are professionals who "train, feed, water, groom, bathe and exercise animals and clean, disinfect and repair their cages," according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Animal care and service workers include zoo caretakers, animal caretakers and animal trainers. Other job duties of animal care and service workers include playing with animals and observing their emotional states to help with early diagnosis of illness and to prevent injuries.

Things You'll Need

• College degree

Instructions

1. Graduate from high school or obtain a high school diploma equivalent, such as a GED. This will allow a person to work on a base level in the animal caretaker field.

2. Apply to an accredited college where you can get a bachelor's degree in biology or animal science. "Many zoos require their caretakers to have a bachelor's degree in biology, animal science or a related field," according to the BLS.

3. Volunteer at a zoo or complete an internship at a zoo. Most zoos ask that animal caretakers have "experience with animals, preferably as a volunteer or paid keeper in a zoo," according to the BLS. At a zoo, a caretaker, often called a "keeper," is responsible for making meals, cleaning habitats, observing the animals and even helping to raise the animals when they are babies. They also answer questions of visitors to the zoo, according to the BLS. All of these factors make internship experience valuable.

4. Apply for entry-level zookeeper positions upon completion of your bachelor's degree. There is room for advancement in the zookeeper field, although it is a challenging process. "Zookeepers may advance to senior keeper, assistant head keeper, head keeper and assistant curator, but very few openings occur, especially for the higher level positions," according to the BLS.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Animal Care and Service Workers