Cross Breeds

wanting to get a job working with wild animals?

i love animals. but mostly, wild animals. i want to work with them, i always see people on t.v. working with baby lions and eagles. BUT i don't want to work at a zoo. nor a vet. i just want to take care of them and train them. can anyone give me what i need to master? and more info on the job? like what classes i need or how much they pay? thanks you guys.

Public Comments

1. You might want to be a Wildlife Conservationist. They work with many wild animals, but their goal is to conserve the wildlife. Some examples of the people that have that job are Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin. You would most likely major in biology, science, math, and much more. For more info, check out this website and click the bubble that says nature: http://www.bls.gov/k12/
2. It sounds to me like you want to be an animal trainer. If you can, start getting some animal experience now. This is a job that has a lot of competition (as do a lot of animal related careers) so do everything you can to give yourself the edge. You can get experience by helping train dogs as an assistants or taking a dog training class, volunteering at a zoo, etc. Training dogs can help you help you understand how dogs learn and some training techniques. Volunteering at a zoo, you may gain experience with exotic animals as a jr. zookeeper or improve your public speaking skills as a guide or camp counselor. You can also read books and start learning what you can about animal training, animal behavior, psychology, and other subjects that may relate to being an animal trainer. http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/training/index.htm http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Shoot-Dog-Teaching-Training/dp/1860542387/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233260697&sr=8-1 http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Behavior-Active-Paul-Chance/dp/0495095648/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233260598&sr=8-3 http://www.imata.org/cms.php?17 http://www.sandiegozoo.org/jobs/keeper_faq.html What are some other ways to gain animal experience? Some places to look for volunteer jobs or internships might be: • Veterinary offices • Animal training classes (does your dog need obedience training?) • Local Humane Society • Local Park Service • Wildlife rehabilitation centers (like for wolves, bears, big cats, birds of prey, and even bats) • Animal shelters • Farms (for domestic animals, or even ostrich, llama, or butterfly farms) • Pet breeders (those that breed specific kinds of dogs, cats, or horses) • Horse stables and boarding facilities • 4-H Clubs Some more volunteer/camp ideas http://www.anticruelty.org/site/epage/55348_576.htm http://www.moorparkcollege.edu/current_students/teaching_zoo/junior_zoo_info.shtml http://www.kidsforcommunity.org/details.asp?eid=2346 http://www.indyzoo.com/pdf/ZooTeenProgramDescription2009.pdf http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/pdfs/TeenOppapp.pdf http://www2.philadelphiazoo.org/getdoc/c456265c-b866-4350-91a6-d2e4cc1eb0db/Apprentice-Program.htm http://www.oregonzoo.org/Volunteer/ZooTeen/index.htm http://www.bigcatrescue.org/edu/summer_camp.htm http://swbg-adventurecamps.com/adventure-camps/2007video.htm http://www.seaworld.org/adventure-camps/index.htm http://www.denverzoo.org/education/career_programs.asp As for college, I'd recommend Moorpark's EATM program. You will be getting a college degree as well as hands-on experience in exotic animal care and training. According to the book “Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched", the students that get first pick of the animals are the ones with the highest grades and attendance. http://www.moorparkcollege.edu/current_students/teaching_zoo/photos.shtml http://www.moorparkcollege.edu/current_students/teaching_zoo/FAQs.shtml 7 What options are available to me, after I complete the EATM program? There are many things you can do after completion of the EATM program. I will lump them into 2 broad categories: a. Seek employment in the animal industry (Movie/TV work, Zoos, Theme Parks, Wildlife Education/Outreach, plus more) ...Many EATM graduates also train animals for movies and television work. Graduates have worked on many of the shows on "Animal Planet", the TV series "7th Heaven" and "Dharma and Greg", numerous commercials with animals (the AFLAC duck, Petsmart dogs and cats, GEICO squirrels), movies such as "Hidalgo", "Doctor Doolittle", "Harry Potter" (all 5 movies), "101 & 102 Dalmations", "Sled Dogs", "Evan Almighty", "Pirates of the Caribbean" (all 3 movies) and many other movies, television shows and commercials. In fact, almost any time you see an animal on TV or in film, one of our EATM graduates is working behind the scenes. http://students.vcccd.edu/cats/08-09/mc_2008-09_full.pdf (Exotic Animal Training and Management) http://www.amysutherland.com/kbs-synopsis.aspx http://www.thefutureschannel.com/dockets/realworld/teaching_zoo/ http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6497367692325564878&ei=hw7rSJKZN6Ky2gKK2LydCw&q=EATM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUxQGXKWfZQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl-CHykT2P8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8AKB8Jgvco http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1pILm93dg8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfHCOUEKjkY There are also other places that offer animal training, zookeeper training, and/or other animal related programs. http://www.animalschool.net/ http://www.animalschool.net/FAQ.htm http://www.hollywoodanimals.com/Animals_Exotic.htm http://www.amazinganimalproductions.com/animalschool.php http://www.amazinganimalproductions.com/animals/lc/lc.html http://www.amazinganimalproductions.com/videos.html http://www.wildthingsinc.com/html/training_school.html http://www.wildthingsinc.com/html/_big__cats.html http://www.aazk.org/zkcareer/training.php http://www.seaworld.org/career-resources/info-books/zoo-careers/school-&-university-programs.htm http://animalscience.calpoly.edu/areas_of_study/zoo/careers.asp other links http://www.theabma.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=63&Itemid=10075 http://www.ehow.com/how_2130738_become-exotic-animal-trainer.html http://www.arkanimals.com/ark/uac_animal_training_careers_7.html http://www.swbg-animals.org/connections/shared-video/on-the-job/index.htm?vID=v5