Keeper Megafauna / Hoofstock

The CALDWELL ZOO•Tyler, TX

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Animal Keeper provides daily care and maintenance for assigned animals and their exhibits in the Mammals 1 department. The animal collection includes African elephants, giraffes, black rhino, African hoofstock, and native Texas hoofstock. The role includes maintaining clean, safe, and sanitary animal environments; keeping animal and veterinary records; carrying out prescribed veterinary treatments; and participating in enrichment, training, conditioning, capture, and restraint procedures. The keeper also responds to visitor questions and assists in training new keepers. The position requires previous experience working with one or more of the listed animal groups, animal training experience, heavy equipment operation, and browse collection and distribution experience. A bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Biology, Animal Science, or a related field is preferred. A valid Texas driver license is required. Work is performed at Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas. Duties involve frequent exposure to varied weather, mechanical equipment, chemicals, airborne particles, and dangerous animals. Physical duties include regularly standing, walking, climbing, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and handling objects; employees may occasionally need to stack hay bales weighing more than 80 pounds.

Requirements

Previous experience working with African elephants, black rhino, giraffes, African hoofstock, or Texas native hoofstock.
Experience with operant conditioning, positive reinforcement, and voluntary husbandry training.
Experience operating heavy equipment, including tractors, skid steers, or similar equipment.
Ability to read and interpret safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
Ability to write routine reports and communicate effectively with zoo visitors or employees.
Ability to use sound judgment to carry out instructions and safely apply animal and zoo operations knowledge in changing situations.
Valid Texas driver license.
Ability to meet the stated physical demands, including occasionally stacking hay bales weighing more than 80 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a four-year college or university in Biology, Animal Science, or a related field.
Experience developing, maintaining, or participating in voluntary hoof-care and hoof-trimming training.
Experience training large mammals for voluntary foot presentation, hoof inspection, routine hoof maintenance, and veterinary procedures.
Experience with protected contact elephant management and positive reinforcement training.
Experience with browse collection, processing, and distribution.
Previous experience conducting educational presentations, keeper talks, or public animal demonstrations.

Responsibilities

Clean and disinfect animal enclosures, equipment, and tools daily to maintain a safe and sanitary environment.
Check the cleanliness, safety, and structural soundness of exhibits and enclosures daily, and take appropriate steps to address existing or potential problems.
Maintain records, including behavioral observations, veterinary treatment logs, diet records, and animal transfer data.
Carry out veterinary treatments as prescribed by the veterinarian.
Participate in behavioral enrichment, training and conditioning protocols, and capture and restraint procedures.
Recognize appropriate animal diets and abnormalities in diets or feeding habits.
Respond helpfully, courteously, and informatively to visitor questions about animal habits and zoo operations, helping provide a positive visitor experience.
Follow all safety policies and rules.
Assist in training new keepers.
Collect, process, and distribute browse.
Conduct educational presentations, keeper talks, or public animal demonstrations where applicable.