Animal Keeper (Various)

Title: Animal Keeper

SALARY & FLSA: The starting rate for this role is $33.49 per hour. Every employee under the Joint Crafts Council wage scale on first appointment will receive the first step of the salary range for the position. Employees will advance to the second step at the start of the pay period after their one-year anniversary in the job classification and each milestone thereafter (3 years 6 years 11 years and 17 years of service) with Step 6 $38.25 per hour being the maximum pay rate.

OPENING DATE: 8/4/2026

CLOSING DATE: 8/25/2026

JOB TYPE: Temporary full-time and part-time opportunities may be available

UNION: Represented

OPENINGS: Ongoing pool for current and future vacancies

LOCATION: Onsite

DEPARTMENT: Animal Management

CARE FOR ANIMALS. INSPIRE PEOPLE. SUPPORT CONSERVATION.

Woodland Park Zoo is a one-of-a-kind urban oasis where people connect with wildlife learn about the natural world and discover how everyday choices can support conservation. Each year more than 1.3 million guests visit the zoo to experience animals habitats education programs and conservation stories that inspire curiosity and action. As a member of our animal care team you help bring that mission to life through attentive daily care collaboration guest engagement and a shared commitment to saving wildlife and inspiring everyone to make conservation a priority in their lives.

WHO YOU ARE
As an Animal Keeper you may support a variety of animal areas depending on operational needs staffing coverage and your experience. You are successful in this role because you are a:

• Dependable Animal Caregiver: You are attentive to animals daily needs routines and surroundings and you take pride in providing consistent thoughtful care each day.
• Collaborative Teammate: You work well with others follow established protocols and support safe reliable coverage across teams schedules and animal areas.
• Conservation Educator: You enjoy connecting guests with animals and sharing conservation messages that inspire empathy curiosity and action.
• Flexible Learner: You are open to developing skills with different taxa assignments and routines and you adapt to changing animal care and operational needs.

YOUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Animal Keepers may be assigned to different animal areas and schedules based on business needs. Responsibilities may include:

• Provide daily animal care including cleaning disinfecting diet preparation feeding watering animal observations and habitat maintenance.
• Assess animal health behavior welfare and safety daily; report abnormal conditions or behavior patterns promptly to managers curators and veterinary staff.
• Maintain accurate animal records and logs including observations diets medications training progress enrichment and other required documentation.
• Support preventive health care and prescribed treatment plans including medication administration physical exams quarantine procedures and veterinary support activities.
• Participate in animal training enrichment behavioral husbandry capture restraint transport and emergency response activities using established safety protocols.
• Collaborate with animal care veterinary horticulture maintenance operations education conservation and guest-facing teams to support safe high-quality animal care and guest experiences.
• Provide animal information and conservation messages through public presentations keeper talks guest interactions media opportunities and behind-the-scenes experiences.
• Support exhibit repairs modifications animal moves and exhibit design or implementation projects as assigned.
• Develop proficiency in multiple animal areas when needed to support coverage animal welfare and operational continuity.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Equivalent to a bachelors degree in a life sciences field from an accredited four-year college or university; and two (2) years of professional experience directly caring for animals in a zoo aquarium wildlife park or managed zoological collection.
• Prefer paid zoo animal keeping experience for two (2) years at an AZA facility.
• Ability to perform physical work in indoor and outdoor environments and lift up to 50 pounds as needed.
• Ability to work a variety of shifts including early mornings evenings weekends holidays and schedule changes based on animal care and operational needs.
• Successful applicants must live and work in Washington State to perform this role.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old and have a valid Washington drivers license with a safe driving history.

BENEFITS

Woodland Park Zoo offers benefits and perks that may vary by employment classification schedule and eligibility.

SELECTION PROCESS
Application: This posting may be used to fill temporary full-time part-time current and future Animal Keeper vacancies. The zoo may review existing application pools to fill this position or use this pool to fill future vacancies.

At Woodland Park Zoo we believe a thriving workplace reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and are committed to equitable employment opportunities. Candidates will be considered based on their qualifications regardless of race color religion national origin ancestry age sex sexual orientation gender identity or expression marital status disability veteran status political affiliation or other protected status. We especially encourage individuals from historically underrepresented communities and those with diverse lived experiences to apply.

Woodland Park Zoo is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in all its services. If you need accommodation in the application or interview process please contact our recruiting team at .

Screening: We will review applications for the skills experience availability and qualifications that best match current and future animal care needs. Selected candidates may be invited for screening calls skills-based interviews virtual or in-person interviews and reference checks.

Offer: Job offers are contingent on verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process including completion of a background check. This role may also require a driving record review pre-employment physical tuberculosis test or other job-related screenings based on the assignment.