Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Experienced Keeper



Experienced Keeper

Experienced Keeper - Ventura Wildlife Foundation
Watford, Hertfordshire, WD3 3GG

Start Date: July/August 2020
Salary £15,000-£17,000 according to qualification and experience.

Will consider freelance individuals for this role.

The Ventura Wildlife Foundation is an exciting new non-profit organisation dedicated to worldwide wildlife conservation and education. We are looking for an enthusiastic, trustworthy and reliable individual with relevant animal keeping experience and skills to implement daily animal care at our 15-acre conservation centre in Watford.
Our facility is home to a variety of mammals, birds and reptiles. Animals of note include zebra, kangaroo, fossa, various small monkeys, binturong, pelican, flamingo, giant tortoise, Fiji iguana and African dwarf crocodile.

Duties will include but are not limited to:
· Preparing and distributing food and water to animals.
· Supervising and providing direction to a team of dedicated volunteers, interns and other staff.
· Assisting with the development of volunteers, interns and other staff.
· Monitoring the health of animals and reporting animal health concerns to Wildlife Directors.
· Maintaining accurate animal records.
· Maintaining animal enclosures to a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene. This includes carrying out basic enclosure repairs and improvements where required in coordination with our maintenance team.
· Preparing and distributing food/water to the animals within the collection.
· Monitoring stock levels of food and bedding.
· Carry out talks, private animal experiences, tours and answering enquiries from visitors in a professional and engaging manner.
· Caring for the overall grounds of the conservation centre, including watering plants and general cleaning.

The ideal applicant requires:
· At least 3 years of experience working with and providing daily care for a variety of
exotic animals including birds, reptiles and mammals.
· A good level of physical fitness as this is a largely outdoor and physically demanding position.
 · A personal awareness, passion and determination to work with wild animals and to contribute to global wildlife conservation/education.
· A desire to share and educate people about conservation through interaction.
· Strong all-round animal husbandry skills and good general animal knowledge.
· Excellent leadership skills and the ability to work effectively both individually and as part of a small team.
· Experience of using ZIMS and keeping animal records.
· A full valid manual driving licence with experience of driving vans and other vehicles.
· Must have the right to work in the UK.
· Applicants must ideally be located within a sensible commuting distance from Watford.
· Hold a recognised animal management qualification.
· Knowledge of Health and Safety risk assessments advantageous.
· A flexible approach to working hours is essential. Normal weekly requirement is to work 5 days a week including weekends and bank holidays.

Closing date: Friday 18 July 2020.

To apply please email a CV (with two references) along with a covering letter







photo 
Peter Dickinson
Independent International Zoo Consultant

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