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Zoo keeper skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

1 min read

Quoted expert

Michael Hunt

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical zoo keeper skills. We ranked the top skills for zoo keepers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 17.4% of zoo keeper resumes contained animal husbandry as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a zoo keeper needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 zoo keeper skills for your resume and career

1. Animal Husbandry

Here's how zoo keepers use animal husbandry:

Assist with training of zoo keeping staff in areas of animal husbandry/handling, safety practices and animal exhibit maintenance.
Complete animal husbandry of exotic and native mammals, reptiles and birds, medical and non-medical

2. Animal Exhibits

Here's how zoo keepers use animal exhibits:

Work with Zoo Keeper staff, cleaning, feeding and maintaining the animal exhibits
Sanitized and tended to animal exhibits Prepared specific diets and enrichment activities for zoo animals Familiarized with AZA accreditation

3. AZA

Here's how zoo keepers use aza:

Performed general day-to-day care and fed animals at the Jackson Zoological Park an AZA accredited Zoo.
Prepared for and completed an AZA Accreditation Inspection

4. USDA

Here's how zoo keepers use usda:

Performed daily tasks including diet preparation, vitamin distribution, and commissary and husbandry cleaning in regulation with USDA standards.
Prepared food for animals and cleaned prep area according to USDA regulations.

5. Hoof

Here's how zoo keepers use hoof:

Worked with hoof stock, Camels, Llamas, Bongos, Zebras, Bison, Giraffe and various deer.
Feed, groom and maintain exotic hoof stock and land maintance such as bushogging, any general duties.

6. Animal Food

Here's how zoo keepers use animal food:

Overlooked the primates, Snow Leopards, and the birds * Prepared animal food once a week in the kitchen
Volunteer Program Clean animal cages and staff areas Sort and organizing animal food Answer questions of zoo guests Assist at exhibits

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7. Medical Procedures

Here's how zoo keepers use medical procedures:

Assisted veterinarian with medical procedures, treatments, and preventative medicines.
Assisted in capture and restraint during medical procedures and/or escapes.

8. Zoo Animals

Zoo animals refer to various animals often seen in a zoological park or garden. Zoos present a collection of animals such as snakes, birds, and mammals in various shapes, sizes, and forms.

Here's how zoo keepers use zoo animals:

Fed, cleaned and cared for zoo animals at the second largest zoo in NM.
Maintained a clean and safe environment for all zoo animals.

9. Animal Diets

Here's how zoo keepers use animal diets:

Prepared food for animal diets, cleaned enclosures, provided enrichment, assisted with enclosure repairs
Prepare animal diets and distribute while observing animals health and log down daily.

10. Animal Handling

Here's how zoo keepers use animal handling:

Trained volunteers on proper animal handling techniques and animal demonstrating methods, thus increasing volunteer-animal exposure for more personalized visitor experiences.
Feed and prepare diets for wild and domestic animals, habitat maintenance, animal handling, record keeping, behavioral observation

11. Animal Enclosures

Here's how zoo keepers use animal enclosures:

Care for reptiles, small mammals, and large mammals Clean and maintain animal enclosures Prepare daily diets for animals
Cleaned and maintained animal enclosures/dens, prepared/ distributed food, developed enrichment and conducted behavioral observations.

12. Animal Training

Here's how zoo keepers use animal training:

Gained experience by observing professional animal training and husbandry care sessions and assisted animal staff when needed.
Communicate with public connected to education and conservation; facilitated animal training and conditioning techniques

13. Animal Species

Here's how zoo keepers use animal species:

Gained experience with multiple large animal species, such as horses, goats, pigs, etc.
Maintain and service enclosures and exhibits for over 30 different animal species.

14. Diet Preparation

Here's how zoo keepers use diet preparation:

Fulfilled husbandry needs including diet preparation, life support checks, and exhibit maintenance.
Diet preparation, feeding, watering and medicating of exotic primates, parrots and hoof-stock.

15. Animal Health

Here's how zoo keepers use animal health:

Assist Animal Health staff in elephant and other animal exams, procedures and research studies.
Created and implemented record keeping system to monitor animal health.

5 Zoo Keeper resume examples

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What skills help Zoo Keepers find jobs?

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What zoo keeper skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Michael Hunt

President, International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association

It is uncommon for an entry-level applicant's resume to make it through a zoo's human resources filter without at least one animal-related internship. Most zoos and aquariums offer internship programs for college students looking to pursue a career in zoology or animal training. Although these programs are offered year-round, at some locations, the internship "season" is typically in spring and summer. Internships are generally competitive and require a comprehensive application and interview process. Interested students can learn more about current internships and internship postings by visiting the website of the International Marine Animal Trainers' Association (IMATA) at www.imata.org. Additionally, IMATA has historically offered informative career-focused workshops and a job fair at their international conferences; the 50th annual IMATA conference will be held in Chicago, IL in spring 2022.

Do you want to know more?

List of zoo keeper skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a zoo keeper resume and required skills for a zoo keeper to have include:

Animal Husbandry
Animal Exhibits
AZA
USDA
Hoof
Animal Food
Medical Procedures
Zoo Animals
Animal Diets

Animal Handling
Animal Enclosures
Animal Training
Animal Species
Diet Preparation
Animal Health
Exhibit Maintenance
General Maintenance
Snakes

Food Preparation
Wild Animals
Public Presentations
Exotic Species
Medical Care
Educational Programs
Farm Animals
Food Intake
Camels

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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