Facility

Tanganyika Wildlife Park

Closing Date

Description

Nursery Keeper/AES

Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard, KS is looking for hardworking, self-motivated, dedicated animal care staff. Currently the park is 25 acres and has another 40+ acres to expand and we plan on growing. A new children’s zoo and safari park are among the plans for expansion. Tanganyika prides itself in providing wildly different experiences for its guests and being stewards for the animals in our care. In the past year, we have developed a set of core values to guide leadership and our team to improve and continue to meet our goals of becoming a destination park for visitors and a great place to work. If you like a fast paced, growth mindset culture come join the change!

Nursery Keeper

As Nursery Keeper, you will be responsible for helping hand-raise various species ranging from African penguins to Amur leopards, as well as maintaining the laundry area and supply closet. This is a full-time position, working 40 hours a week. Due to the nature of the position, however, employee must be flexible with break times during the day in order to incorporate having to return to Park for night feedings.

In order to complete 40 hours a week, particularly when there are no animals in the nursery, the Nursery Keeper is also part of the Animal Experiences Specialist (AES) Team. The AES team is responsible for a variety of animal experiences and encounters throughout the park including our behind the scenes tours, meet and greets, birthday party ambassadors, and offsite programs. This position is not only responsible for the guest facing side of the experiences like sharing facts, but also the animal training that takes place during and in between experiences. This team loves getting creative and innovative, working to find ways to connect guests to our animals! The AES team also works closely with zookeepers in the other Care Team departments to improve our already extensive animal training program. As part of the AES team you will have the chance to train with a variety of animals, including lizards, tortoises, small mammals, penguins, sloths, macaws, porcupines, otters, and more!

If you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, are organized and detail oriented, enjoy the chaos of having multiple mouths to feed, and love training, then this is the job for you!

Basic Duties Include:
– Basic husbandry for animals in nursery, which includes multiple feedings throughout the day and evening, as well as daily cleaning of incubators/rooms/crates
– Daily charting and monitoring of animals’ food intake, excretory outputs, and behaviors
– Actively communicating with Curator of Research and Welfare regarding any changes in husbandry protocols, diets, or vet concerns
– Preparation of milk replacement formulas and other nursery diets including ground meat and fish
– Cleaning and disinfecting dishes and containers
– Deep cleaning and disinfecting incubators, rooms, and crates in between animals
– Maintaining a clean and organized nursery area, including all cabinets and storage areas
– Running daily loads of laundry and maintaining a clean laundry area
– Assisting in keeping storage closet near nursery organized and clean
– Guest engagement while at the feeding tables, when in the park, and during special events
– Be knowledgeable about ambassador species and stay updated on their conservation status
– Talk about animal ambassadors and answer questions during experiences
– Train new and maintenance behaviors in accordance to training protocols
– Assist zookeepers in training sessions and provide feedback for ensuring consistency in training methods
– Evaluate each training/ambassador session and record in Animal Care Software
– Occasionally assist other Care Team departments with husbandry

Education and Pre-requisites

Requirements:
– Combination of education and hands-on experience that provides the required skills for the position
– Must have previous hand-raising experience
– Basic understanding of operant conditioning and positive reinforcement training
– Excellent public speaking and customer service skills
– Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines
– Ability to work long hours, weekends, weekdays, holidays, and evenings
– Ability to stand and walk for up to 8 hours per day with frequent stooping and bending
– Ability to routinely lift up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift up to 50 pounds
– Desire to grow as a team member, animal keeper, and human being

Desired Skills, Experience, and Individual Qualities:
– Self motivated
– Hard working
– Driven
– Dedicated
– Ability to read human and animal behavior
– Fast learner
– Flexibility
– Adaptable

Compensation and benefits

– Year round, full-time position
– Starting hourly rate of $14/hr with pay modifiers for previous FT Keeper and/or training experience
– Professional development program (tiers and badges) that allows staff to improve their skill set and earn additional pay compensation
– Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
– Supplemental Insurance
– HSA
– 401(k)
– Unlimited PTO starting at 90 days
– In-house discounts
– Complimentary admission to TWP for yourself and family

Application instructions

Please apply at https://twpark.applicantstack.com/x/openings.

If you have any issues applying, please email amoody@twpark.com for assistance