Zookeeper - Elephants/Hoofstock

Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc.

Your Role: Zookeeper – Elephants/Hoofstock

Your Manager: Zoological Supervisor/Manager

Your Pay Structure (

FLSA Status): Full-time, hourly/nonexempt

Safety Sensitive: This is a safety-sensitive position. Regardless of whether you are a medical marijuana licensee, you must receive a negative result on a 10-panel, pre-placement drug screening to include THC, prior to beginning work.

The Zoo

Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc. (TZMI) is nonprofit organization driven by our mission of Connecting, Caring, Advocating for Wildlife, People, and Wild Places. From trumpeting elephants to squawking parrots, each member of our team is integral to the success of the Zoo as Green Country’s largest paid daily attraction. At Tulsa Zoo, the IDEA is a zoo for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. Apply today for your opportunity to join our dynamic group of passionate individuals who bring the zoo to life each day, 365 days per year, caring for animals, interacting with guests, educating the public, and managing the Zoo’s grounds, operations, and facilities.

A Few of Your Many Benefits

• Free family-level Tulsa Zoo membership
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits beginning your first day of employment
• 401k
• Unlimited virtual visits with a mental health therapist at no cost to you
• Food, beverage, and retail discounts on zoo grounds
• Generous paid time off plans

Your Job

Zookeeper – Elephants/Hoofstock is responsible for the daily care, maintenance, and observation of assigned animal collection and associated facilities. This position will be involved with exhibit maintenance, diet preparation, conservation breeding programs, veterinary procedures, animal training and enrichment, education programs, and addressing guests.

Your Essential Responsibilities

If you disclose different abilities, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable you to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this position. Other duties may be assigned to you.

• Daily cleaning of animal exhibits, service areas and holding units utilizing various tools, instruments, disinfectants.
• Diet preparation and feeding such as restock, inventory, ordering feed supplies as needed and as prescribed. Maintain food preparation areas and equipment.
• General maintenance of exhibits, service areas, and holding units such as fence repair, decoration, mister systems, automatic drinkers, shade cloth, filling holes, etc.
• Maintain exhibits and holding units to ensure animal, keeper, and visitor safety, and in good appearance for public viewing at all times.
• Design and construct exhibits/holding units by cutting and moving branches to plant or secure them to walls with dirt, cement, wire, nails; install nest boxes and barrels; attach burlap to cage walls to provide privacy; maintain plants in exhibits.
• Capture and restrain animals by hand, net, catchpole, or by corralling them under direction of supervisor for shipping/loading or routine/non-routine medical procedures.
• As assigned, assist Animal Health department with medical treatments such as prescribed medication/treatments, weighing/measuring, surgery, restraint/capture, and euthanasia of animals.
• Daily observation of animal collection for injury, illness, aggression, stress, breeding activity, diet intake, behavior, enrichment, capture/restraint, prescribed medical treatments, in-house moves, acquisitions/de-acquisitions, and fecal consistency and maintain accurate record of these observations.
• Maintains accurate records of daily observations of animal collection containing information regarding behavior, intake, fecal output, breeding behavior, aggression, behavioral enrichment, capture/restraint, prescribed medical treatments in-house moves and acquisitions/de-acquisitions.
• Monitor life support systems including but not limited to water filtration, ozone generators, HVAC, and backup generators as needed.
• Identify and communicate situations for repair and maintenance for the safety of animals, visitors, and staff as well as overall upkeep of the facilities.
• In conjunction with animal care leaders including Behavioral Husbandry department, work with animal collection on a one-to-one basis such as crate training, practicing commands, clicker training, and orientating animals to new enclosures.
• Apply appropriate techniques and opportunities for enrichment of the animal collections.
• Under direction of animal care leaders, devise and implement breeding protocols, diet revisions, exhibit designs, and maintenance.
• Research the animal collection and scientific journals, observe and recognize a variety of courtship behaviors, and create environments that induce breeding.
• Assist in acquisition/de-acquisition of animal collection by crate training, crating of animal, loading, transportation, and shipment.
• Train, assist, and oversee work of volunteers/interns and ensure their safety while performing these duties.
• Fill in for zookeepers in other departments as requested.
• Recognize signs of pest infestation in animal areas and combat pests/nuisance wildlife as directed.
• Maintain area compliance with all local, state, federal, and international regulations and ensure standards are met (USDA, AZA, etc.).
• Attend and participate in staff meetings and assigned training sessions.
• Participate in visitor education programs, formal and informal animal presentations and outreach programs, scheduled keeper talks, and provide accurate information to the public.
• Maintain necessary certifications as required (SCUBA, AZA Elephant Management, Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO) etc.).
• Maintain necessary testing/vaccinations as required (TB, rabies, respiratory mask fit testing, etc.).
• Respond to emergency calls after normal operating hours.
• Effectively communicate and demonstrate interpersonal skills with all levels of employees in a clear and professional manner.
• Demonstrate and adhere to TZMI’s workplace values.
• Know and follow zoo policies and procedures, including emergency protocols.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position has no direct reports.

What We Expect

Required Qualifications, Education and/or Experience

• Must be 18 years or older, possess a valid driver’s license, and be insurable on TZMI’s insurance carrier
• Must be able to work weekends, evenings, and holidays.
• Bachelor’s degree in biology, zoology, animal science, environmental resources, wildlife management or a related field from college or university; six months of exotic animal experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Generally, one year of full time exotic animal experience will translate to one year of college.
• Ability to read and comprehend documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions and procedure manuals; to write routine reports and correspondence; to communicate effectively before groups of customers, employees of TZMI, and the general public

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals
• Ability to work with potentially dangerous animals (i.e. large ungulates, carnivores, venomous animals) and around hay/alfalfa, and substrate indoor environments
• Ability to operate various equipment and vehicles including but not limited to golf carts, utility task vehicles, large trucks, and farm/construction equipment
• Microsoft Word; Microsoft Excel; Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) a plus; Internet Browser(s)- Explorer, Chrome, Safari, etc.

What You can Expect

Our Values

• We are enthusiastically committed to be part of the Tulsa Zoo community.
• We will all work together as one Zoo Team to support the Zoo’s mission.
• We will value and appreciate everyone and create a safe, understanding, and welcoming environment for all.
• We will all be accountable for achieving excellence.
• We will earn the trust of one another, acting honestly and treating each other with respect .

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Moving about - constantly

• Sitting – rarely

• Standing - constantly

• Reaching with hands and arms – constantly

• Stooping, kneeling, crouching, and/or crawling - constantly

• Climbing and/or balancing – occasionally

• Exchange of in-person, phone, radio, or digital communication - frequently

• Carrying or lifting up to 50 pounds – frequently

• Pushing and/or pulling up to 50 pounds - frequently

• Exposure to outdoor weather conditions - constantly

• Exposure to high noise levels- frequently

• Gripping, pinching, writing, and other hand movements – constantly

• Exposure to strong smells – frequently

• Work near moving mechanical parts – occasionally

• Wet or humid environment - frequently