Animal Care Keeper – Large Carnivores/Small Carnivore Conservation Breeding Center

Description

Position Summary:

The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens Animal Care Keeper is responsible for providing the highest quality daily care, husbandry, and behavioral advancement of a defined portion of The Living Desert’s (TLD) animal residents and habitats. 

The Animal Care Department is expected to support the Zoo in its mission “to support desert conservation through preservation, education and appreciation.” The team embraces a forward-thinking vision of a modern zoo and inclusive culture. The Animal Care team strives to be a strong, cohesive team working to deliver uncompromising excellence in animal care and wellbeing, and guest engagement while working for the greater good of the zoo and its mission. Each Animal Care Keeper is encouraged to lead from where they are, bring innovative ideas forward and provide a high level of well-being for each individual in their care.

Animal Care Keeper

The Wild Americas/Africa keeper oversees animals on two focused strings located throughout the zoo and supports the Animal Department’s culture of providing conservation connections with our guests through demonstrating the natural behaviors of the animals. This keeper’s areas are comprised of a diverse range of animals which includes small and large carnivores (from regions of Africa and the Americas), jaguar, mountain lion, Peninsular pronghorn, and our desert small carnivore breeding facility with black-footed cat, sand cat and fennec fox. 

This position is also expected to cross-train throughout Wild Americas/Africa sections making communication, problem solving, and excellent animal care standards a must and may include working with a variety of avian species including birds of prey, Australian species, and a variety of reptiles (including venomous). The Wild Americas team is also in planning for Lion Ridge- a dynamic African lion and small carnivore habitat which presents a unique experience for staff in this development.

This is a key guest interactive position that requires an outgoing, creative, confident, self-motivated team player who is willing to make significant commitment to the organization. This position requires an enthusiastic individual with strong guest engagement skills, and the ability to work in a fast-paced work environment. This individual must value fun and have some prior experience with animals in a guest setting.  

This team member should foster enthusiasm, demonstrate strong guest engagement skills, have an energetic presence, and be able to work in a fast-paced environment. The Animal Care team demonstrates skills in both formal and informal presentations throughout the park, taking the time to interact with guests and provides excellent animal care through enriching experiences and habitat management practices.

Duties will include, but are not limited to, learning the husbandry and care of mammals, reptiles, and birds, using operant conditioning in the behavioral husbandry of animals to improve their wellbeing, communicating the mission of The Living Desert to guests through public keeper connections, maintaining records, using USDA guidelines to prepare diets. This position reports directly to the Assistant Curator of Wild Americas.

Join us in elevating small carnivore breeding strategies and animal care through forward thinking programs!

This posting is a summary of the typical duties of the role, not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks, and duties.

General:

• Must represent The Living Desert in a professional manner
• General knowledge of zoological animal husbandry, natural history, and observational skills
• Ability to use critical thinking skills to trouble shoot issues and reveal solutions to move the animal team forward

Husbandry:

• Diet/meal preparation, feeding and restocking of feed supplies as needed and as prescribed
• Daily cleaning and general maintenance of animal habitats, service areas, holding units, and support areas utilizing various tools, instruments, disinfectants; and with the ability to do so safely 
• Continue education on the animal residents; research scientific journals, create environments that induce breeding and welfare goals and recommended habitat design options

Behavior:

• Participates with daily behavioral husbandry, operant conditioning, and enriching experiences of the animal residents
• Condition behaviors for animal management and welfare advancement, and educational programming according to accepted training culture

Communication:

• Ability to provide and accept feedback professionally and effectively
• Strong organizational and communication skills wit