Zoo Keeping Online Course

Do you want a career working with animals?  Careerline’s course in Zoo Keeping will introduce you to the various aspects of working in zoological gardens and safari parks and general captive animal management.

You will learn about Animal Welfare, Animal Care, Diet and Nutrition, Forms of Enrichment to enhance wellbeing, Captive Breeding, Enclosure Design, Research, Education and Conservation in Zoos.

Course Aims:

• Describe the nature and scope of zoos as a source of education and conservation
• Develop appropriate procedures for managing occupational health and safety in a zoo, with a view to minimising risk to staff, animals and visitors
• Describe the nutritional requirements and feeding preferences of animals within zoos
• Determine health management measures required for a range of different captive zoo animals
• Describe the management of breeding in zoos
• Determine appropriate ways to manage a range of different wild animals in zoos
• Explain procedures and techniques used to manage human-animal interactions in zoos
• Identify and describe the qualities of good enclosure design. Develop maintenance programs for different enclosures

There are 9 Lessons in this course:

1. The Nature and Scope of Zoos

• • What is a Zoo?
  • The Evolution of Zoos
  • Change in Zoo Design
  • Modern Zoos and Sanctuaries
  • Legislation
  • Codes of Practices
  • Animal Welfare
  • Enrichment
  • Record Keeping
  • Identification Tags
  • Animal Taxonomy
  • Phylums & Classes of the Animal Kingdom
  • The Function of Zoos
  • Research and Zoos
  • Education in Zoos

2. Occupational Health and Safety in Zoos

• • Workplace Health & Safety
  • Legislation
  • Health & Safety Management in Zoos
  • Zoonoses
  • Legionnaires Disease
  • Other Safety Issues
  • Risk Management

3. Captive Husbandry – Nutrition and Feeding

• • Animal Nutrition
  • The Effect of Poor Nutrition on Animal Behaviour
  • Water Requirements
  • Essential Dietary Components
  • Vitamins & Minerals
  • Food Storage & Preparation
  • Presentation of Food

4. Captive Husbandry – Health

• • Monitoring Health
  • Maintaining Health
  • Diseases
  • Quarantine
  • Record Keeping/Animal Transfer Data
  • Enrichment Data Transfer Form

5. Captive Husbandry – Reproduction

• • The Need for Captive Breeding
  • Captive Breeding in Zoos
  • Goals of Captive Breeding
  • Issues with Captive Breeding
  • Inbreeding Risks
  • Captive Breeding Programs
  • Monitoring the Reproductive Status of Zoo Animals
  • Assisted Reproduction
  • Stud Books
  • Birth Control and Separation

6. Captive Husbandry – Behaviour and Enrichment

• • Ethology
  • Behaviour
  • Types of Behaviour
  • Behaviours in Captive Animals
  • Learned Behaviour
  • The Flight or Fight Response
  • Animal Behaviours
  • Animal Welfare Indicators
  • Environmental Influence on Behaviour
  • Behaviour Management
  • Environmental Enrichment

7. Human-Animal Interactions

• • Keeper-Animal Interactions
  • Visitor Animal Interactions
  • Dealing with Dangerous Animals
  • Flight Distance of Animals
  • Handling Animals
  • Visitor Animal Interactions
  • Stress Reduction

8. Enclosure Design and Maintenance

• • Optimum Enclosure Design
  • The Perfect Enclosure?
  • Replicating Nature
  • Providing Stimulating Environments
  • Physical Enrichment
  • Feeding Enrichment
  • Sensory Enrichment
  • Social Enrichment

9. Problem-based Learning Project – Environmental Enrichment

• • Introduction and Definition of PBL
  • Problem Definition
  • Team Structure and Interaction
  • Discussion
  • Resources
  • Guidelines
  • Final Report