Hospital & Conservation Keeper

General Summary

The Hospital & Conservation Keeper provides specialized care, handling, training, and husbandry for hospitalized and quarantined Zoo collection animals, wildlife patients, and animals in treatment or holding areas. The position maintains clean, safe, and functional animal spaces within the Zoo Hospital and supports conservation and research initiatives, including Eastern box turtle monitoring and Wood Turtle and Alleghany Woodrat headstarting programs. The role contributes to the Zoo’s wildlife conservation, sustainability, education, and DEAI goals.

Essential Functions

Monitor animal appetite, behavior, habits, physical condition, and excreta to identify signs of stress or illness. Provide specialized care to hospitalized, quarantined, confiscated, and wildlife patients, including preparing diets, providing water, cleaning enclosures, administering medications as directed, assisting with medical procedures, processing samples, and supporting veterinary activities. Safely transfer, capture, and restrain animals for veterinary, emergency, husbandry, and management procedures while following established protocols.

Develop and implement species-appropriate enrichment and specialized training programs in coordination with animal care and veterinary staff. Set up temporary enclosures for sick and quarantined animals and maintain familiarity with animal capture and restraint equipment. Support conservation projects and participate in the Animal Recapture Team as needed.

Inspect and maintain enclosures, fencing, pools, furniture, equipment, and animal areas, performing minor repairs and submitting work orders as required. Maintain cleanliness of the Zoo Hospital, grounds, animal and staff areas, pest management systems, safety equipment, and emergency stations. Coordinate with facilities staff and outside contractors for maintenance and renovation projects, monitor contractor activities in animal areas, and assist with hospital renovation and equipment planning.

Drive off Zoo grounds when needed to transport samples, equipment, or carcasses. Assist with surgical and veterinary procedure preparation and cleanup. Maintain hospital vehicles, equipment, supplies, food inventory, care sheets, diet sheets, patient records, and exit forms. Track patient needs such as weights and samples and ensure equipment remains in good working condition.

Communication & Records

Maintain accurate daily animal condition reports in ZIMS and communicate patient status and care requirements to the Hospital & Conservation Keeper team, Hospital Clinical Manager, and veterinary staff. Attend required staff meetings and coordinate care documentation to ensure consistent treatment of hospitalized, quarantined, and wildlife patients.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Zoology, Biology, Veterinary Science, or a related field required. Three years of paid or unpaid animal experience, preferably in a zoo or veterinary clinic, is preferred. Basic knowledge of Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and data entry is required, along with a valid driver’s license.

Successful candidates should be organized, detail-oriented, self-directed, collaborative, and able to work independently or as part of a team. Strong time management, communication, and interpersonal skills are important, as is the ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and support the Zoo’s mission.

Equipment & Working Conditions

The position requires operation of computers, telephones, radios, vehicles, hand tools, animal restraint and capture equipment, incubators, scales, gardening and carpentry tools, and related machinery. Employees must be able to remain active for an eight-hour shift, travel across large areas of the Zoo, work weekends, holidays, and special events, and work outdoors in heat, humidity, cold, wet conditions, and other seasonal weather.

Physical requirements include lifting up to 50 pounds independently and up to 75 pounds with assistance, exerting force for lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling, and performing activities such as standing, walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, climbing, balancing, and ladder use while carrying up to 15 pounds. The role involves exposure to zoonotic diseases, animal-related injuries, environmental hazards, hazardous chemicals, diagnostic radiography, anesthesia equipment, and other occupational risks. An initial TB test and physical are required.

Benefits

Benefits include 24 days of Paid Time Off (PTO), Sick and Safe Leave, two paid holidays, medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability and life insurance, and a 401(k) plan with employer match.