Zookeeper - Farms - ZOO

Department:  Zoo 

Pay:  $20.72 per hour  

Work Schedule:   

Sedgwick County offers a comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees that includes health coverages, paid leave, regular compensation reviews, retirement plans, and professional development opportunities.  For more detailed information, please visit our benefits page at SCBenefits.

In a team setting provides daily care for the farms collection including: feeding, cleaning, monitoring poultry egg incubation; observing, recording, and reporting behavior. Participates in animal well-being assessment practices. Produces and provides goal-based animal training and enrichment. Inspects facilities for security, safety, repair and maintenance. Interacts and provides customer service to all Zoo defined customers. Job duties may extend to other animal taxa. This position participates in a mandatory on-call rotation.

Animal Care and Management

• Ensure animals are housed and cared for in ways that meet all Zoo-defined goals.
• Demonstrate and maintain knowledge of basic domestic farm animal natural history, behavior, and terminology.
• Observe and understand the complexities of animal behavior, including individual animals and larger social context, animal general health, and behavior.
• Recognize abnormalities and potential medical conditions, and communicate observations of animal behavior and health condition to veterinary staff, supervisor, curator, and other pertinent staff members.
• Handle animals for husbandry needs, medical and reproductive purposes, including being able to put an animal in a restraint chute, and in preparation for transport.
• Under the direction of veterinarians and/or supervisors, administer medications or treatment as instructed.
• Monitor incubation process of poultry eggs.
• Prepare animal diets; monitor and report to supervisor the quality of all dietary components, food intake by Zoo animals, and unintended diet consumption by non-collection animal pests.
• Drive Zoological Society owned vehicles, as needed, to care for or transfer animals to other zoological facilities. Animal transfer trips may occasionally require overnight travel.
• Complete required training and safely operates all zoo required equipment for completion of job duties.

Animal Well-being

• Conduct and evaluate appropriate enrichment activities as demonstrated by Zoo’s enrichment program.
• Uses positive reinforcement training to assess medical conditions and to maintain a safe working environment.
• Maintain thorough and accurate record keeping of animal training, enrichment, behavioral observations and health conditions.

Area Maintenance

• Clean and maintain service areas, animal habitats and public areas so they are clean, organized and aesthetically pleasing.
• Use and maintain wheel barrows, rakes, shovels, hoses, scrub brooms, tubs and a variety of other tools.
• Complete daily inspections of animal habitats and associated facilities for security and safety concerns.
• Conduct minor repairs to facilities or promptly submits concerns to supervisor.
• Ensure that habitats are ready for public display in a timely manner.
• Communicate any pest control concerns to supervisors or veterinary team.
• Participate in an on-call rotation during emergency situations.

Minimum Qualifications: Three years of experience in Biology, Zoology, Animal Care, or a related field. Up to three years of experience (all) may be substituted with education that provides applicable knowledge and skills. Per Sedgwick County policy, this is a driving level position that requires a valid US driver’s license without restrictions and current proof of automobile insurance.

Preferred Qualifications: 2 years of animal care experience.  Experience with operant conditioning and enrichment techniques, experience with power tools, experience using a skid steer, tractor, and bobcat. Degree in Zoology, Biology, or related field from an accredited college or university.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws. Please find more information under the following link.  Apply for a Job | Sedgwick County, Kansas