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What does a zoo director do? |
Professions
It takes a lot of people to run a zoo! Zookeepers are the people who do the day to day work of feeding and cleaning the animals. Zoo curators manage and plan the collection of animals and help design the buildings at the zoo that the animals call home.
A zoo director is the person who oversees the entire zoo- kind of like the mayor of a city! They are responsible for the day to day running of the park, overseeing the other employees, and working on public relations and marketing to make sure people come and visit all of the wonderful animals! He or she can also help curate the collection of animals with the other zoo curators.
If you are a zoo director, not only do you need to have a passion for protecting and caring for animals, you also need to like working with people! It takes a lot of communication and understanding between staff members, the press, visitors and other animal organizations to keep a zoo running happily. As the animals never take “a day off” this is a job for everyday of the year!
Does this job sound interesting to you? Learn more from our interview with Jeff Sailer, the Director of the Central Park Zoo. See below!!
whyzz interview with Jeff Sailer, Director of the Central Park Zoo:
1. How did you become a zoo curator?
I grew up on a small farm in the Midwest and I was always working with animals. I got a job at Miami’s Metro Zoo as a curator. Then this position opened up [as Zoo Director] and I go the job.
2. What does your average day look like?
There is no such thing as an average day. I can be in meetings all day or unloading a baby sea lion from the aquarium. I have waited all night for a shipment of penguins and given tours to celebrities and politicians. I can go home dirty and tired or be wearing suits and a tie for a meeting with the mayor.
3. What training did you do to prepare for your career?
I have a degree in Biology, which is helpful but not necessary. Mostly I use the skills I learned on the farm raising animals. I do have a Masters Degree in Zoology. I volunteered at zoos during grad school and I worked with researchers dealing with alligators and crocodiles. For me it was the best career choice out there because it’s really what I like to do. I can’t see myself doing anything else.
4. Do you have any advice for young people who are interested in working at a zoo?
If you really want to do this, you will be a success. Any opportunity to have hands on experience, you should take it. Find a mentor!
Mr. Sailer oversees the management of this jewel in Central Park, which spans more than 6.5 acres and is home to more than 120 species including polar bears, penguins, sea lions, and snow monkeys, and the gentle animals in the Tisch Children's Zoo. Sailer has worked extensively in Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, and Papua New Guinea. At the Central Park Zoo, his focus has been on developing new mixed species exhibits and increasing the diversity of the collection.
