How do I get a job at a nice zoo or wildlife refuge as an animal caretaker/trainer?

I've always wanted a job as an animal caretaker/trainer (NOT a vet) such as those seen on shows like ';Growing Up'; on Animal Planet. However, I've had a hard time finding out any information about this job, such as the official job title, job requirements, average pay, etc. If there is any information people have from experience, or if anyone knows any resources for additional information it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! =)How do I get a job at a nice zoo or wildlife refuge as an animal caretaker/trainer?
You'd be a trainer or a keeper (zookeeper, keeper at a rescue, etc).





Work on getting lots of experience with animals. Before and/or during college see if you can volunteer at a zoo. Most zoos offer opportunities for youth and teens to go to camp, be a camp counselor, or be a jr keeper, etc. See what your local zoo offers. However, if you can't volunteer at a zoo or with exotic animals, work with other animals. Any animal experience is better than none. There are also a couple colleges that have a teaching zoo, so you can get experience as well as an education. A lot of times, zoos will look more at your experience than your degree.





While you may not ';need'; a degree, depending on the zoo you apply to, you should get at least get an Associates (2 yrs); though a Bachelors (4 yrs) or higher would be better. Look through some of the job listings at AZA to see what some of the education requirements to work at a zoo. A degree will also give you an insight to animal behavior, animal husbandry/care, basic vet knowledge, etc (look at some college course catalogs to see what you'll be learning in the classes and what classes you need to take for the degree). Zookeeping is a very competitive field, so any edge your can get over your competition will be helpful.





After you get your degree it still might be hard to get a job right away. You might need to do an internship and/or work some other job (at the zoo or somewhere else) till a position opens up.





Here are some links. I hope they help. Good Luck.


http://www.sandiegozoo.org/jobs/keeper_f鈥?/a>


How do I become an animal keeper?


There is no single way to become a keeper, but the more education and hands-on experience you have, the better.





Education鈥?While you鈥檙e in school, learn as much as you can in your science classes. In college, choose a degree program in animal-related fields like biology, zoology, botany, ecology, conservation science, or animal behavior. Take as many different courses in those areas as you can, and graduate with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in your chosen field. (Here鈥檚 a BIG hint: the competition for jobs caring for animals is so strong that you really HAVE to have a college degree these days to be considered.)





Hands-on Experience鈥?Find opportunities to work with animals. Some potential keepers have volunteered assisting Conservation Research scientists and technicians. Sometimes work-study opportunities are available for college students.





What are some other ways to gain animal experience?


Some places to look for volunteer jobs or internships might be:


鈥?Veterinary offices


鈥?Animal training classes (does your dog need obedience training?)


鈥?Local Humane Society


鈥?Local Park Service


鈥?Wildlife rehabilitation centers (like for wolves, bears, big cats, birds of prey, and even bats)


鈥?Animal shelters


鈥?Farms (for domestic animals, or even ostrich, llama, or butterfly farms)


鈥?Pet breeders (those that breed specific kinds of dogs, cats, or horses)


鈥?Horse stables and boarding facilities


鈥?4-H Clubs





http://www.aazk.org/zkcareer/keeper_jobs鈥?/a>


Improving Your Chances of Getting a Keeper Job


Courtesy of A.A.Z.K.





Although most zoos will be looking for experienced and academically able staff you can improve your chances by amassing various other skills. If you already have keeping experience then so much the better, however the following will be a big help.





(a) Learn to...





http://www.aza.org/ForEveryone/Careers/


Requirements


The conservation and scientific programs in zoos and aquariums have become highly technical and specialized. Although practical experience with animals may sometimes be substituted for academic training, most entry-level keeper positions now require a four-year college degree. Training in animal science, zoology, marine biology, conservation biology, wildlife management, and animal behavior is preferred.





http://aazk.org/zoo_career.php


http://www.stlzoo.org/animals/soyouwantt鈥?/a>


http://www.lupazoo.org/zoo_info/involved鈥?/a>


http://sandiegozoo.org/blog/teenreporter鈥?/a>


http://www.oregonzoo.org/Involved/career鈥?/a>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-psyixcn0鈥?/a>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZkM6CaGk鈥?/a>


http://www.cattales.org/A%20Zookeeper%27鈥?/a>


http://www.bigcatrescue.org/tiger_traini鈥?/a>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmhLgvq-N鈥?/a>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5UabGAGm鈥?/a>


http://www.careers.iptv.org/people_detai鈥?/a>


http://www.bls.gov/k12/nature01.htm


http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages鈥?/a>


http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=鈥?/a>


http://www.indeed.com/salary/Zoo-Keeper.鈥?/a>


http://www.iseek.org/careers/careerDetai鈥?/a>





http://www.aazk.org/forum/


Career information


Questions about a career in Zoo Keeping, ask in here.








some volunteer opportunities


http://www.bigcatrescue.org/edu/summer_c鈥?/a>


http://swbg-adventurecamps.com/adventure鈥?/a>


http://www.swbg-animals.org/connections/鈥?/a>


http://www.indyzoo.com/content.aspx?cid=鈥?/a>


http://www.houstonzoo.org/teen/


http://www.dallaszoo.com/subnav/voluntee鈥?/a>








some colleges


http://www.seaworld.org/career-resources鈥?/a>


http://www.aazk.org/zkcareer/training.ph鈥?/a>


http://www.seaworld.org/career-resources鈥?/a>


http://animalscience.calpoly.edu/areas_o鈥?/a>


http://192.188.202.22/amg/





Pensacola Junior College's Zoo Animal Technology Program


http://itech.pjc.edu/jkaplan/zooschool/i鈥?/a>


http://www.pjc.edu/forms-apps/collegecat鈥?/a>





Santa Fe College's Zoo Animal Technology Program


http://inst.sfcollege.edu/~zoo/PROGINFO.鈥?/a>


http://admn.sfcollege.edu/~catalog/PDF/0鈥?/a> (Zoo Animal Technology)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm3VLxn0I鈥?/a>


http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=sa鈥?/a>


http://www.aazk.org/forum/viewtopic.php?鈥?/a>





Moorpark College's Exotic Animal Training and Management (EATM) Program.


http://www.moorparkcollege.edu/current_s鈥?/a>


http://students.vcccd.edu/cats/08-09/mc_鈥?/a> (Exotic Animal Training and Management)


http://www.amysutherland.com/kbs-synopsi鈥?/a>


http://www.thefutureschannel.com/dockets鈥?/a>


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=鈥?/a>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH-vcr-Am鈥?/a>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUxQGXKWf鈥?/a>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebO4t0Ojq鈥?/a>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl-CHykT2鈥?/a>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8AKB8Jgv鈥?/a>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1pILm93d鈥?/a>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifTtBYCF-鈥?/a>


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfHCOUEKj鈥?/a>


http://www.aazk.org/forum/viewtopic.php?鈥?/a>


http://www.aazk.org/forum/viewtopic.php?鈥?/a>








some Work/Intern/Volunteer ideas for during or after college


http://www.aza.org/JobListings/index.cfm鈥?/a>


http://www.aazk.org/job_listings.php


http://www.bigcatrescue.org/internship.h鈥?/a>


http://www.indyzoo.com/content.aspx?cid=鈥?/a>


http://www.denverzoo.org/involved/career鈥?/a>


http://www.sazoo-aq.org/general/voluntee鈥?/a>


http://www.houstonzoo.org/intern/


http://disney.go.com/disneycareers/inter鈥?/a>


http://disney.go.com/disneycareers/inter鈥?/a>


http://www.seaworld.org/career-resources鈥?/a>