Zoological Care Specialist I​/II​/III - Part Time Animal Outreach

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Now is the time to join a team of passionate and engaged staff who are excited about the expansion of our organization. We deliver exceptional guest experiences, astounding animal care, and education opportunities for all ages.

This role is responsible for the daily care, feeding, enrichment, wellbeing, and training of animals within the Ambassador Animal and Bird Show collection. The collection includes a wide variety of species, such as birds (parrots, birds of prey, ravens, vultures, and more), reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and small mammals including degus, opossums, skunks, burrowing owl, tarantula, pythons, and various lizards and tortoises, and more.

This position will also assist with ambassador breeding programs for prehensile tailed porcupines, six-banded armadillos, and northern tree shrews. Additionally, the position covers animal husbandry, training, and presentations at the Valley Farm exhibit, which features various goat breeds. The ideal candidate will work closely with both the animals and the zoo’s guests, providing educational experiences (onsite classroom programs, zoo encounters, and shows) on and off grounds while maintaining high standards of animal care.

This position is responsible for the daily care, feeding and enrichment of animals in the assigned collection or section. Duties include maintaining cleanliness of animal enclosures and ensuring that Zoo policies and protocols are followed consistently. This position will regularly interact with Zoo guests to answer questions, provide animal information, and ensure an excellent guest experience.

This position will primarily be assigned to a specific animal team but may be reassigned or requested to work in other sections as needed at the discretion of the Animal Management team.

We are pleased to offer this part time position an Employee Assistance Program, 401K, Paid CA Sick Time earned on an accrued basis. The pay range for this position is $17.00 - $26.52 per hour. Offers will be based on the successful candidate’s experience.

Essential Accountabilities

Prepares and administers appropriate daily diets at designated times; sees that animals have sufficient water that is refreshed regularly throughout each day.

Implements effective behavioral enrichment for selected animals.

Observes animals’ behavior, checking for any signs of illness or disorder; reports irregularities and abnormal behavior to supervisor; works with vet staff to address observed behaviors.

Maintains accurate feeding, health, and welfare records of assigned animals.

Thoroughly cleans and disinfects assigned animal enclosures and ensures cleanliness throughout the day. Maintains adequate stock of all section supplies and reports low inventory levels to manager in a timely manner.

Exercise good judgement when making choices that affect our collection.

Observes and assists Zoological Care Specialists with training animals in designated section.

Assists hospital staff in all aspects of animal treatment within the assigned section, including medication preparation and administration.

Assists the Emergency Response team in animal events.

Watches for and immediately reports any vandalism or animal welfare concerns.

Assists with the crating and moving of animals under supervision of qualified Zoological Care Specialists 1, 2, or 3, ensuring the safety and well-being of the animals.

Performs special assignments and projects as requested and assists with other shifts as needed.

Ability to safely operate a vehicle for business purposes including but not limited to going to and from the zoo’s facilities and offsite.

Level I:
Effectively trains animals in designated section on established…