Mammal Department Zookeeper

General Description

The Mammal Department Zookeeper provides care, feeding, enrichment and training for mammals to ensure their well-being and contributes to outstanding guest experiences by ensuring that mammal exhibits are properly maintained.

The Mammal Department Zookeeper will support, both publicly and privately, the principles of the Detroit Zoological Society.

The Mammal Department Zookeeper will maintain a professional manner when dealing with all constituencies and always preserve a high level of confidentiality.

This job description is by no means all inclusive and may be subject to change during a performance period due to the needs of the Detroit Zoological Society and its leadership.

This document will be reviewed on a continual basis and will be modified as needed.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide daily care, including but not limited to, feeding, enrichment, and operant conditioning training for mammals
• Clean animal enclosures and other exhibit areas
• Perform routine exhibit maintenance, including mowing, trimming, and other routine maintenance activities
• Observe and document physical condition and behavior of animals
• Inspect facilities to ensure safety and security
• Capture and restrain animals as needed
• Monitor animal social conditions and situations
• Develop and submit enrichment practices to Coordinator of Enrichment and Research
• Design, construct, and provide enrichment devices to animals
• Coordinate animal health and other medical procedures with veterinary staff
• Provide medical treatments as prescribed by the veterinarians
• Perform routine maintenance and make minor repairs to equipment and facilities
• Communicate needs for maintenance department work requests to supervisor
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations
• Maintain records, inventories and other information and provide written and verbal reports as required
• Train new staff as required
• Train and supervise interns
• Conduct educational presentations in both formal and informal settings.
• Perform other duties as required.

Qualifications

Education and Experience :

• Bachelor’s degree in zoology or a closely related discipline and two years’ experience in the care and management of mammals
• OR : An associate degree in a related discipline and four years experiences in the care of captive wildlife, two of which include the care and management of mammals.
• Working Conditions :
• Work is performed indoors and outdoors with exposure to all seasonal weather conditions, with frequent exposure to and contact with dangerous animals, with risk of zoonotic disease transmission (Hepatitis B, Herpes B, Tuberculosis, Salmonella and others), and with exposure to computer monitors.

Evening work will be required as necessary.

Physical Requirements :

• This position requires sitting, standing, walking, bending, and stooping for extended periods, the ability to lift and move up to 50 pounds and the use of standard office equipment and the computer.
• The individual must have the ability to perform the essential functions of the job satisfactorily with or without accommodations.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.