Keeper Support Volunteer (18+)
Summary
Animals are the reason guests attend Zoo Boise! Keeper Support volunteers assist the Animal Care Staff (ACS) in creating a comfortable home for the animals and beautiful habitats for guests to see. They also speak with the public about the animals, the Zoo Boise Conservation Fund, and assist with Keeper Chats.
Responsibilities
Tasks will vary and may include:
- Remove feces and bedding from habitats, clean windows, and cobweb removal.
- Wash dishes, following USDA and AZA guidelines.
- Disinfect habitats and enrichment items.
- Assist with ongoing projects including stocking supplies, making animal enrichment, and other tasks.
- Conduct animal observations.
- Support Public Animal Encounters (PAE).
- Prepare diets.
- Observe animal training sessions.
Note: Sharing habitat space with animals can be a safety issue. Volunteers do not work in large carnivore habitats at all. Many of the animal habitats that volunteers assist with will require those animal(s) to be shifted into another location prior to entering the habitat.
Requirements
- 18+ years old
- Commitment to one shift per week for a minimum of six months.
- Daily 8:30AM - 12:00PM or 1:15 - 4:45PM
- Select shifts available based on current staffing.
- Daily 8:30AM - 12:00PM or 1:15 - 4:45PM
- Complete approximately 5 hours of self-paced, online, onboarding modules.
- Attend a 3-hour in-person training session.
- Pay a $50 volunteer fee.
- Financial assistance is available.
- Must submit a negative TB test, at own expense, annually.
- Must be willing to submit to a federal background check if deemed necessary.
- Working Conditions
- The physical effort characteristics and working environment described here are representative of those a person encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Physical Efforts
- While performing the duties of this position is always lifting/carrying up to 20 pounds, occasionally lifting/carrying up to 35 pounds and rarely lifting/carrying up to 75 pounds; pushing/pulling up to 20 pounds and occasionally pushing/pulling up to 75 pounds. The noise level is frequently loud and occasionally moderate. Work includes sensory ability to talk, hear, smell and touch. Work in this position also includes close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception. Will sit, stand, walk, run, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, grasp, climb and balance. Position requires hand/finger dexterity.
- Working Environment
- The work environment will include inside conditions, outdoor weather conditions, extreme temperatures, in wet and humid conditions, areas of dust, odors, mist and gases or other airborne matter. Will be exposed to mechanical hazards. Work includes protected exposure to infectious bacteria, bodily fluids, and chemicals.
Note – for the lifting/carrying/pushing/pulling up to 75 lbs., examples of this would be assisting with unloading and stacking of alfalfa, grasshay, frozen food such as meat and fish, and food grain bags.
