Zoo keeping is such a strange profession and there is a definite divide between the mentality of the zoo keeper and the mentality of the animal enthusiast. Not everybody who manages to secure a job looking after animals in a zoo will be perceived as a bone fide zoo keeper. It is a very competitive field of work and also a very unusual vocation where you are on show as much as the animals in your charge. It certainly takes all sorts in the zoo world! There are those reclusive keepers who have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the animals in their care but absolutely zero tolerance for the humans around the place. There are the gregarious ones strutting around proudly with their keys on show, always available to answer the questions that were ignored by the reclusive ones. The ones in between are more than happy to work out of the constant public gaze and concentrate on such delightful tasks as pond scrubbing but can also turn into showmen as required, ready to give a commentary and crack some jokes for the public as the reclusive one grimaces and concentrates on giving the right fish with the correct supplements to each individual sealion/penguin/otter/dolphin/shark (delete as required) at one of the advertised events.
The diverse nature of the animal husbandry tasks required for different captive species groups means that everyone will find their own niche after time and complement each others' strengths and weaknesses to get through a working day safely. There has to be an element of trust between those on a section to ensure that the species in their care have all of their needs met, everyone gets through a working day without serious injury, and the visiting public go home without too many complaints. The showmen get to prance around in front of the adoring public, the recluses get to potter behind the scenes, and those in between flit between the two areas with relative ease. There is a very delicate balance getting this right and there is a real risk of injury or worse if things go wrong.
To be a zoo keeper is to be trusted with a set of keys to have access to both public and off show areas. It is important to concentrate on the task in hand and not become distracted by a desire to be doing something else at the same time (or an attractive member of the public the other side of the viewing window). There is a time and a place for everything. A new member of staff or volunteer managing to get through the recruitment stage will be closely scrutinised over a period of time until the powers that be are satisfied that they can be trusted with a set of keys and access to off show areas unsupervised. Those that there are doubts about will remain firmly in the 'animal enthusiast' category without keys for their own safety, amd also the safety of the animals and eveyone else. I will explore these distinctions in more depth next time.
My first induction into the world of the zoo keeper came about at the age of 17. I was living in London, having moved up to help look after my nephew so that my sister could return to work. Wrangling toddler Tom was great fun but after a year it was time to get out there and find a proper job.
I had popped into the youth careers office in Leatherhead and was sat looking through the careers folders laid out on the table. The careers lady watched as I went straight to the back of each of the heavy tomes, ending up poring over the Z section each time. I had been voraciously reading any piece of literature I could lay my hands on about exotic animals and zoo keeping as a career since the age of about 10. These were the 1980's so internet research was a thing of the future, and I became very adept at researching in libraries, book shops, publications and the careers office.
After half an hour, I picked up the last remaining folder on the desk. This was the folder for jobs currently available, never usually brimming with elusive zoo keeping opportunities. My last encounter with this folder had led to me working for a week at a local show jumping stables. All had gone quite well, even though I was a bit confused by the array of strangely named leather items in the tack room. The horses had been beautiful to be around, the yard was extremely well managed and kept, but I was a little unsettled by the fact that these athletic animals were confined to their stables unless they were out training or competing. Some of the extremely valuable livery horses seemed to have been in their stables all week. On the Friday I was given my first pay packet and then asked to come in extra early on the Sunday to get the horses tacked up and groomed ready for the Sunday hunt. The penny suddenly dropped that the livery horses that had been cooped up all week got their exercise when their wealthy owners came down for the weekly fox hunt!!!!
This was it, my face could not hide my disgust, I politely explained that I would not be coming in on Sunday or ever again thank you very much.
Ever the optimist, I flicked through the numerous clerical officer and care home vacancies that seemed to be ever-present in the folder - this was the 80's decade of plenty so jobs were still available in a variety of sectors. I am a great believer in fate and I turned the page to a scrap of paper at the back that mentioned an urgent need to fill spaces on a youth training scheme. The youth training scheme, or YTS, was a much-maligned government scheme for 16-18yr olds at that time. They were fixed for a 12 month period, with a pay equivalent to unemployment benefit, and were designed to encourage employers to take on school leavers at a bargain rate for training and possible employment.
YTS adverts were usually the last point of call in my research but this particular advert was the turning point for me. The urgent request was to fill the last remaining spaces on a youth training scheme due to get underway the following week at LONDON ZOO!!!!!
The careers lady rang the number as I sat quivering and in a state of disbelief. She nodded while on the phone, made some notes, and then handed me a slip of paper with a huge smile on her face. There was one remaining space on the London Zoo scheme and I was invited to go to interview at 11am the following day at Regents Park. She seemed to be as happy about this development as me, and wished me good luck for the interview. She told me she had never helped anybody become a zoo keeper before. I skipped off to let my family know and was soon to find out what the future held.
