Volunteer Keepers

The Fennec Fox has hair on the soles of its feet to protect them from the burning heat of the Sahara Desert sand.

Volunteer Keepers

The Taronga Conservation Society Australia has a volunteer program for those looking to gain experience in the zoological industry. The program is very popular and has a limited number of positions available. To be accepted to the program you need to be able to be available one day weekly or fortnightly for a minimum 6 month period. We'd love to accept every application we receive for people wanting to help out - even if it's just for a day - but the practicalities of having volunteers working efficiently and safely means training and a structured program is required. Therefore we have a range of programs which may be more suitable for you to become involved with if you are unable to commit to our Volunteer Keeper Program.

Applications for our Volunteer Keeper Program are now open. Our next recruitment day has not yet been scheduled but will be held after 30 June 2009. Submitting a completed application form with a valid email address will ensure you are kept informed of developments of our volunteer program, which is currently under review. The Taronga Conservation Society Australia is committed to providing enhanced volunteer experiences across an expanded range of areas within Taronga Zoo in the near future.

You must be over 18 to apply for this program.

Applications for the Volunteer Keeper Program have now closed and will re-open in November 2009.

So you want to be a Volunteer Keeper?

Volunteer Keepers assist keepers with general keeping duties including cleaning of exhibits and food preparation. The work can be physically demanding and volunteers should be prepared to work outside in all conditions. Being a volunteer keeper is not all about cuddling tigers or playing with gorillas. In fact, to be brutally honest, being a volunteer keeper involves a lot of cleaning and raking and... (there is no nice way to put this) ... poo shovelling! Keepers start work as early as 6.30am and in summer it can be really hot and in winter it can be very cold. Volunteers are expected to show up on their rostered day, rain, hail or shine.

Are you still reading? Great! If we haven't lost you yet it's a good sign. Apart from the hard work and the early starts, there are plenty of special moments and amazing experiences. We have a great team here at Taronga and our "Vollies" are very much part of the family. We invest time and resources into training our Volunteers to assist with all aspects of our Life Sciences departments and we rely on their contribution in the day to day running of the Zoo.

What happens at the "Recruitment Day"?

At the recruitment day we gather all our applicants in our Lecture Theatre and brief you more about what's involved with being a Volunteer Keeper. You'll hear from the Volunteer Coordinator from each of the 8 sections and they'll chat about the tasks you'll be performing if you apply for their section. Each division and department at the Zoo are very different. Often our applicants change their preference area once they hear from the Keepers, deciding a different section sounds more appealing once they learn what is involved. The program is very popular and has a limited number of available positions each year, we accept approximately 60 applicants each recruitment day and we recruit approximately every 6 months.

You will be asked to take a basic skills literacy and numeracy test and complete a customer service questionnaire. You will also be asked to complete a self health assessment form to ensure you are physically able to complete the required tasks. You will also be asked to participate in a group activity. Finally you will have a short interview with a Keeper from the section you want to apply for. We may also require a Working with Children check and a Criminal Record check.

Taronga Zoo accepts Keeper Volunteers in the following areas of interest:

Education Centre / Backyard to Bush
Exotics - Primates & Ungulates
Australian Fauna Precinct
Exotics - Carnivores (Big Cats)
Great Southern Oceans (Marine Mammals)
Bird Show and Bird Division
Herpetofauna (Reptiles, amphibians, including some invertebrates)
Taronga Wildlife Hospital

Please note the recruitment session will be held during business hours. Two weeks prior notice will be given.

What else can you do?

If after reading this information you realise that our Volunteer Keeper program may not be exactly what you're looking for, then why not go to our website and read up on some of the different programs we run:

Taronga Training Institute: