07/21/2025
The first reaction most of our zookeepers get when they tell someone their profession?
“Oh my god, do you just play with animals all day?”
As much as we wish our days were all cuddles and camera-ready moments, being a zookeeper is so much more than that.
Our keepers are the full package — caretakers (the ones who never miss breakfast… even for tortoises), medical monitors (always keeping an eye on the tiniest limp or sneeze), trainers (with more patience than your average saint), diet designers (because picky eaters aren’t just human), enrichment creators (think Pinterest, but for porcupines), straw stackers (yes, it’s an art), salt schleppers (lugging the heaviest boxes around to balance the aquarium tanks), exhibit fixers (basically engineers without the degree), habitat heroes (rain or shine, they’re out there), intern mentors (part teacher, part teammate), and proud AAZK members (representing zookeepers across the nation).
They’re also early morning concert hosts (unofficial singers with questionable playlists), window washers (because lemur handprints wait for no one), record keepers (with handwriting only other keepers can read), and fitness coaches (ever tried getting a pig to do laps?). They’re p**p scoopers (yes, daily), welfare advocates (always speaking up for the animals), feather fluffers (figuratively, mostly), mud movers (it’s a real workout), and sometimes even unofficial goat therapists (it’s a lot of feelings).
They wear so many hats, it’s a wonder they don’t need a walk-in closet. Every role they step into is vital to the health, safety, and well-being of the animals in our care. Their work might not always be glamorous, but it’s always meaningful — and the zoo wouldn’t be the same without them.
