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Regional hiringpublishedExternal employer
AZAudubon Zoo
Audubon Zoo•Zoo

Zookeeper

Elephants

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Work type

Onsite

Employment

Full Time

Experience

2-5 years

Compensation

Compensation not disclosed

Posted

1d ago

Summary and responsibilities

Role overview

Summary

This Zookeeper position at Audubon Zoo is dedicated to the daily care of Asian Elephants, focusing on welfare initiatives, behavioral enrichment, and guest engagement. The role involves providing technical animal care, maintaining records, assisting with training, and participating in educational programs.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting directly to the Curator of Elephants, this position joins a dedicated team providing daily, progressive care for 0.3 Asian elephants. Zookeepers perform routine animal husbandry with minimal supervision, lead behavioral enrichment and positive reinforcement training, assist with habitat maintenance, support volunteers and interns, and deliver high-quality educational guest experiences. Candidates with 6+ years of relevant experience may qualify for a Senior Keeper classification upon meeting department benchmarks.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Elephant Husbandry and Welfare

- Provide specialized daily elephant care, including foot care, bath sessions, and operant conditioning routines.

- Prepare and feed prescribed diets; administer medications and assist veterinary staff during medical exams and treatments.

- Assist in protected-contact restraint, shifting, and management protocols under the supervision of the curator.

- Monitor daily physical and behavioral health, maintain precise animal records, and report abnormal behaviors or symptoms immediately.

- Plan and implement progressive behavioral enrichment and training programs.

- Participate in AZA species management and conservation initiatives as assigned.

Facility Maintenance and Operations

- Clean, disinfect, and maintain elephant habitats, holding stalls, grounds, and off-exhibit service areas daily.

- Operate moat pump systems, power tools, lawn equipment, and medium-to-heavy machinery.

- Identify and execute routine repairs; report larger structural maintenance needs to supervisors.

- Assist in basic pest control and groundskeeping/horticultural maintenance in elephant areas.

Guest Experience and Team Support

- Conduct daily public keeper chats, feeding demonstrations, and educational talks focused on conservation and wildlife missions.

- Lead behind-the-scenes VIP tours, donor events, and media presentations.

- Maintain professional customer service standards, camera-ready appearance, and address public safety concerns promptly.

- Train, guide, and evaluate interns and volunteers on safety and animal care protocols.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Experience

- Substantial experience in the husbandry, care, and handling of exotic megavertebrates or large mammals; direct elephant experience strongly preferred.

- Practical experience applying positive reinforcement / operant conditioning principles and enrichment techniques.

- Demonstrated track record of workplace safety in dangerous animal management.

- Familiarity with AZA and USDA regulatory guidelines and standards.

- Strong knowledge of zoonotic disease management and prevention.

Education and Certifications

- High school diploma or equivalent required; college coursework or a Bachelor's degree in Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, or a related field preferred.

- Valid Louisiana driver's license.

- Current negative TB test and up-to-date tetanus booster.

- Fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

- Ability to complete ICS 100 and ICS 200 certifications.

- Basic computer processing proficiency.

PHYSICAL AND WORKING CONDITIONS

- Heavy physical labor: lifting up to 100 lbs occasionally and regularly lifting/carrying up to 50 lbs per OSHA standards.

- Prolonged standing, bending, walking, and working outdoors in extreme heat, high humidity, and heavy rain.

- Ability to manage stress and exercise sound judgment in high-risk environments around large, dangerous animals.

- Availability to work weekends, holidays, overtime, 24-hour on-call shifts, and serve on the Hurricane Storm Team as required.

Updated 1d ago

Candidate fit

Skills and qualifications

Additional skills

Large Mammal Management • 1+ yrs
Zoonotic Disease Prevention • 1+ yrs
Animal Health Evaluation • 1+ yrs
Exotic Animal Handling • 1+ yrs
Animal Training • 1+ yrs
Behavioral Enrichment • 1+ yrs
Time Management • 1+ yrs
Team Collaboration • 1+ yrs

Experience

2-5 years

Certifications

La. Driver’s License • Required
Covid vaccinated • Required
TB test • Required
Tetanus shot • Required
Incident Command System 100 • Required
Incident Command System 200 • Required

How this role is positioned

Role classification

Job domains

Education

Industries

Wildlife & Conservation

Employment

Full Time

Contract duration

Permanent

Hiring type

Direct

Global hiring

Location specific

Offer details

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

Compensation not disclosed

VisibilityShared on listing
CurrencyUSD
PeriodYearly

Location, schedule, and role shape

Work setup

Work conditions

Primary locationNew Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Work typeOnsite
Global hiringNo

Bandwidth profile

peopleMedium • 7/10
physicalHigh • 9/10
cognitiveHigh • 8/10
executionHigh • 9/10
creativityMedium • 6/10
uncertaintyHigh • 8/10
communicationHigh • 8/10

Context on the employer

Company snapshot

Company

Audubon Zoo

Team size

Growing team

Location

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Audubon Zoo is an organization dedicated to the care and survival of wildlife, providing daily guest experiences and focusing on welfare initiatives and research.

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Zookeeper

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States • Full Time