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THE FITZ TEACHING ZOO
FITZ = Florida International Teaching Zoo
The FITZ Teaching Zoo has been helping graduate students since the mid 1990s. We are proud of our alumni!
While some students have been content to proceed in non animal fields, others have gone on to become business owners, private breeders, Professors, Pet Sitters, Pet Store owners, Animal Shelter Professionals, Educational lecturers, employees at Disney Animal Kingdom, Seaworld, and Zookeepers at the great places in the picture on the left. We even have one Canadian rockstar!
These jobs will require at least some past experience and/or some college education.
Some of these jobs will require higher level college degrees and specialized training.
Zookeeper
Zookeepers are the primary caregivers to the animals in the zoo. Daily duties including cleaning every cage, feeding every animal, and providing behavior enrichment. Treatment of medical conditions under the supervision of the zoo veterinarian also falls to the zookeeper. Bird keeper, animal care specialist, mammal keeper, elephant keeper, and animal keeper are other titles given to the zookeeping profession.
Zoo Wildlife Educator
Most wild animal parks have an education department. The educators in this department develop and/or are involved all of the zoo’s education programs. This can include wildlife shows at the zoo, school program, summer camps, and special events. Wildlife educators’ job responsibilities include care for and training of the education program animals, public speaking, program development, and media work.
Animal Trainer
Animal trainers in zoos or wildlife parks typically work in the education shows, such as the bird show. Some zoos and aquariums make husbandry training part of the basic care of the animals and part of the regular zookeeper duties. Animal trainers in educational shows are responsible for the care of the animals in the show, show production, and public education.
Enrichment Coordinator
Behavioral enrichment is a central part of daily zoo animal care. Enrichment refers to anything that challenges a captive animal and gives them something to do. This can include training sessions, toys, feeding puzzles and much more. Behavioral enrichment is part of the zookeeper’s daily duties. But at larger zoos, an enrichment coordinator is hired to develop new enrichment ideas for all the animals and ensures the safety of the animals when providing behavioral enrichment.
Wildlife Rehabilitator
Since the animal care staff at zoos and aquariums have unique knowledge in working with and caring for wild animals, many zoos and marine parks also rehabilitate wild animals. The wildlife rehabilitation staff treats and cares for local wildlife found injured or sick with the goal of releasing that animal back into the wild.
Exotic Animal Veterinarian
Usually zookeepers will act as the veterinary technician for medical exams and procedures for the animals in their care. In larger zoos there will also be dedicated veterinary technicians to help with all the animals that come through the zoo’s animal hospital.
Publicity and Marketing
Staff in the marketing department handle media requests and promote the many animals, programs, and events at the zoo through various avenues, such as social media. This can be one of the more challenging zoo jobs as it also requires publicly addressing criticism and hardships that the zoo may face.
Horticulturist/Gardener
Gardeners and horticulturists at the zoo keep the grounds and gardens looking their best for the public to enjoy. The zoo may also have a botanical collection that requires specialize care and expertise. In addition, knowledge of growing food and gardens for the zoo animals is also needed, as some of the plants help feed the animals or enrich their habitat.
Systems Maintenance
Many zoo animals have special habitat needs such as constant heating or cooling. Aquariums have extensive filters and pumps that must operate at full efficiency to keep the fish and other aquatic healthy and alive. For these reasons, many of the jobs at zoos are maintenance positions.
Commissary Staff
Caring for wild animals is costly. To provide all the needs of the animals and quality educational programs, zoos rely on entrance fees, gift shop and education department revenue, and grants for funding. Larger zoos will hire grants coordinators to work full time on grant applications.
To find what openings are available at zoos, look at the zoo’s website, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) job board, and the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) job board.
FAQ's
Frequently asked questions
FITZ PROGRAMS
Zoo Animal Management School
This is a vocational one year course designed to be completed while still working or at school. We have had people aged 18 to 60 take this course. Some work full time, others are college students. We don't require any academic prerequisites. Lectures are held two nights a week, while 1-2 Lab days weekly are spent at the zoo feeding, cleaning, record keeping, building, and enriching the animals lives. Topics include husbandry, nutrition, health, species bios, and public management. A graduate receives certification from the Zoo program. Total instructional hours number over 2000 per student. Most Frequently Asked Questions are on the FAQ page.
This is an opportunity to get out of it what you put in. We are looking for bright, motivated students not afraid to get dirty or work hard. Check out our Students page, Graduates page, and Zoo Careers page. There are many opportunities in the zoo field! Which one is right for you?
Veterinary Assisting 14 Week Course
We offer a 14 night series in the field of veterinary assisting. The class meets once per week for 14 weeks. Topics covered include Anesthesia, Emergency medicine, Parasites, Client Relations, Restraint/handling, Diseases, and Fecal Analysis Laboratory. This is designed as a beginner or refresher course, not training for a license.
A DVD series is available for purchase that replicates the coursework.
Low Cost Pet Vaccination Clinics
We provide low cost vaccination clinics at locations throughout a three county area 2-3 days a week. We have been providing this community service for over 20 years. We offer a low cost rabies, distemper, and kennel cough vaccination to provide citizens with an affordable option to obtain routine health prevention for their pets.
Check our Facebook for times, dates, and locations