animal keepers

[dinahvixen]

Just curious,
I am a teacher and my husband is a zoo keeper in Cincinnati - relocating for me is easy, teaching jobs are everywhere, but zoo jobs are hard to get - he works with gorillas and that's very hard to get into. Does anyone know how difficult it is to get a keeping job at Animal Kingdom? Or any of the good zoological parks in the Tampa/Orlando area? Disney's employment boards don't even list animal keepers, just interns.

[Dulcee]

I can't say I know the answer to your question but I'm very jealous of your husband's position. I'm a college senior and have been working part time in an aquarium as a seal/penguin keeper for three years. Can I ask how he worked his way into primates?

Actually now that I think of it. Two summers ago a girl from the aquarium got a job working with the hippos at Animal Kingdom. She found the job through an AZA listing if I remember correctly. She also applied for it within days of if being posted. The job opening did not last long..

[dinahvixen]

Thanks, he does subscribe to the AZKZ journal and there are listings there - I forgot about that. He started out in the Children's Zoo, which was non-union, then got hired as Night Watch, which took care of all the animals at night, then when an opening came up for Gorillas, he interviewed for it, and got it. But Night Watch helped since he was able to get experience there with all the departments.