Careers With Exotic animals

Training animals at a theme park is one option for exotic animal lovers.Training animals at a theme park is one option for exotic animal lovers.

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A career working with exotic animals can be very fulfilling and rewarding if you have an aptitude for physical stamina, an altruistic attitude toward the animals you work with and a respect for the goals of the animal organization you choose to work for. There are a number of avenues to consider, from positions at zoos to wildlife rehabilitation centers.

Veterinary Medicine

Though the majority of veterinarians work in small animal hospitals with pets, there's the possibility in small animal medicine to work with exotic animals such as birds and reptiles. Another area to consider is a career as a zoo veterinarian. This work may include extracting the decayed tooth of a jaguar, making the rounds to observe the health of an owl and working with the zoo to plan a new healthy environment for all the animals.

Zoos

Though competitive, a variety of opportunities exist working with exotic animals at zoos. If your interests include combining business with an understanding of animal natural habitats, you might consider work as a zoo director. In this role, you work with the zoo’s budget, animal nutrition, the creation of habitats and with zoo personnel. Zookeepers have a more direct role with the animal life and are responsible for the upkeep of an animal’s habitat, looking after animal health and may be involved in breeding.

Related Reading: Interesting Animal Careers

Aquariums

Aquariums offer opportunities as an aquarist, who feed and care for the sea life and their exhibits. The director of husbandry, which is the aquarium equivalent of a zoo animal curator, is an option for those who want to be in charge of addressing the aquarium displays, moving the fish and sea life to different tanks and habitats, and maintaining the current fish and sea life population and health.

Wildlife

A variety of careers are available if you want to closely work with exotic animals in their natural environment. A wildlife biologist is primarily concerned with the health and safety of wildlife and the job may involve tracking and performing research studies on exotic animals. A wildlife conservation officer works primarily to enforce local hunting and fishing laws, but may also be involved in wildlife conservation, animal rescue and operating feeding stations.

Breaking In

In a field where there may be more people interested in the work than there are jobs available, there are ways to increase your chances of landing the job you want. Getting the specialized education you need for your particular area of interest is a start. For instance, wildlife biologists typically have advanced degrees. Volunteer work with a zoo, aquarium, wildlife center or veterinary office gets you the hands-on experience you need and also provides opportunities to find out about available positions before the general public does.

It's Interesting

  • Siegfried & Roy are two German-American former entertainers who became known for their appearances with white lions and white tigers.
    From 1990 until an injury ended their stage careers on October 3, 2003, the duo formed the show "Siegfried & Roy at the The Mirage Resort and Casino", which was regarded as the most-visited show in Las Vegas...

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[(Careers with Animals: Exploring Occupations Involving Dogs, Horses, Cats, Birds, Wildlife, And Exotics)] [Author: Ellen Shenk] published on (March, 2005)
Book (Stackpole Books)

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