Zookeeper - Elephants

Summary

This position is primarily responsible for the daily husbandry of five female African elephants. Now is an exciting time to join our team as we begin the process of designing a new Africa habitat for our elephants, rhinos, giraffe and hoofstock. This renovation and expansion will serve to further the Memphis Zoo’s commitment to elephants in the future. The ideal candidate would be proficient in all aspects of zoo animal care including husbandry, enrichment, training, exhibit maintenance, record keeping, public presentations, and conservation.

Candidates for this position should be self‑motivated, hard‑working, positive, dependable, who can work independently, but also thrive in a team setting.

• Daily husbandry of assigned animals.
• Facilitates formal and informal public presentations to engage guests and provide a positive guest experience.
• Actively observes animals’ behavior, checking for any signs of illness or disorder; reports irregularities and abnormal behavior to supervisor; works with vet staff to address medical needs.
• Prepares and administers appropriate daily diets and maintain accurate records of assigned animals.
• Appropriately cleans and disinfects assigned animal enclosures/habitats according to written protocols and ensures a sanitary and safe environment.
• Exercises good judgement when making decisions that affect our collection.
• Assists hospital staff in all aspects of animal treatment within the assigned section.
• May incorporate modern behavioral husbandry techniques such as operant conditioning and environmental enrichment into animal care.

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Some college level coursework in the fields of Zoology, Biology, Psychology, or related field.
• Experience working with animals in a zoological setting and/or similar experience working large mammals in the field of agriculture.

• Previous experience working with elephants in a captive setting.

• Written and oral communication.
• Proficient in MS office, current technology and applications for communication, research, and record keeping.
• Records and reports creation and management.
• Critical thinking.
• Problem Solving/Analysis.
• Stress Management/Composure.
• Flexibility.
• Teamwork Orientation.

Supervisory Responsibility: None.

Reporting Structure: Reports to Associate Curator, Team Lead.

Full‑time positions are defined as positions scheduled to work approximately 40 hours a week. Scheduling is at the discretion of the manager. This position regularly requires flexible hours including weekdays, holidays, and weekends. This position is considered non‑exempt under the federal and state wage and hour laws.

While performing the duties of the job, the employee will frequently work in outdoor settings (Zoo grounds). When outdoors this position is required to work in various weather conditions including rain, humidity, and extreme heat or cold.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. This position requires frequent sitting/standing/walking/bending/kneeling and may occasionally move or lift objects up to 50 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Other Duties:Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

• 18 years or older.
• Clear background check.
• Clear drug screening.
• Clear TB screening.

The Memphis Zoo has a comprehensive benefits and employee perks package. Please see our Memphis Zoo Careers page for details.

The Memphis Zoo believes that human diversity is as important as the biodiversity we seek to conserve. World‑class zoos are comprised of world‑class team members representing a variety of backgrounds,…