Careers in Animal Keeping and Management
A list of all of the career profiles where people perform animal keeping and management duties at places involved in animal edutainment and conservation. It also includes breeding and training of animals.
The list includes careers where people:
- Take care of captive animals
- Train captive animals
- Do research into the management of captive animals
- Breed specific species for zoos or aquariums
Career List
Click on the name of a career to view its summary. You can then read more about the career by clicking on the CAREER PAGE link.
Minimum Entry Level: High School Certificate
Animal Species: Amphibians
A person who mates carefully selected amphibians (caecilians, frogs, toads, salamanders, newts) of the same species to reproduce offspring with the same qualities and characteristics. The keeping of live amphibians as a hobby or to sell for income is called herpetoculture.
Minimum Entry Level: High School Certificate
Animal Species: Fish, Crustaceans, Mollusks
An aquarium fish breeder creates a business where freshwater and/or saltwater fish are bred for the aquarium market. This market consists of both private aquariums or fish tanks, and large aquariums.
They may also breed select species of crustaceans and mollusks.
Minimum Entry Level: College Diploma
Animal Species: All Species
An Animal Behaviourist studies the way animals behave and tries to determine what causes certain types of behaviour and what factors can prompt behaviour change.
Minimum Entry Level: College Diploma
Animal Species: All Wildlife
Animal Keepers care for animals in zoos, aquariums, and the different parks used for entertainment, education and conservation.
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Fish, Crustaceans, Mollusks
An aquarist is an individual that cares for the marine life in aquariums by maintaining their living environments and having hands on interactions with the creatures.
Also known as:
- Aquarium Technician
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Arachnids
An Arachnologist is a scientist who studies and works specifically with the different types or arachnids.
Arachnids include spiders, scorpions, harvestmen, ticks mites etc. More specific study directions are:
- acarology – the study of ticks and mites
- araneology – the study of spiders
- scorpiology – the study of scorpions
Minimum Entry Level: High School Certificate
Animal Species: Birds
Bird Breeder is a person who breeds carefully selected wild birds of the same species to reproduce offspring with the same qualities and characteristics for the pet industry.
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Crustaceans
A Carcinologist is a scientist who studies and works specifically with the different types of freshwater and saltwater crustaceans, such as crabs, lobsters, shrimps, crayfish and krill.
Minimum Entry Level: High School Certificate
Animal Species: Cats, Dogs, Critters, Farm Animals, Mammals, Birds, Reptiles
An Enrichment Officer creates and implements species-specific activities such as focused exercises and motions to assist the animals in their daily lives
Minimum Entry Level: High School Certificate
Animal Species: Wildlife
Exotic animal trainers work with wildlife to teach them specific actions on command. They mostly work within the entertainment side of the animal careers. This also includes animals used in movies, and the marine mammals you see at aquariums and sea worlds.
The kinds of animals they can train:
- Birds
- Elephants
- Dolphins
- Primates
- Seals
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Insects
An Entomologist is a scientist who studies and works specifically with the different types of insects.
Minimum Entry Level: High School Certificate
Animal Species: Critters, Farm Animals, Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians
A Feeding Station Attendant assists in preparing meals and ensuring feeding points for the various animals are always well-stocked with food for the day
Minimum Entry Level: College Diploma
Animal Species: Mammals
A game breeder is an expert that assists and co-ordinates the reproduction of specific or selected mammal species to protect the species and for profit. Most of the game is supplied to private or public game reserves, parks and zoos.
Game breeders may focus on breeding one or more species, for example:
- ​Antelope
- Bison
- Buffalo
- White-tailed Deer
- Wildebeest
- Zebra
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Reptiles and Amphibians
A Herpetologist is a scientist who studies and works specifically with reptiles and amphibians.
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Fish
An Ichthyologist is a scientist who studies and works specifically with the different types of freshwater and saltwater fish.
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Mollusks
A Malacologist is a scientist who studies and works specifically with the different types of mollusks, such as snails, slugs, clams, squid and octopus.
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: All Mammals
A Mammologist is a scientist who studies and works specifically with the different types or mammals, comprising domesticated animals (pets and farm animals) and wildlife (including marine mammals).
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Mammals, Fish, Crustaceans, Mollusks
A marine biologist observes and studies animals and plants in the ocean with a focus on field work, academic research, laboratory work, consulting, charity, outreach or policy making.
The animals they work with include fish, marine mammals (dolphins, whales etc), crustaceans and mollusks.
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Cats, Dogs, Critters, Farm Animals, Wildlife
A Museum Curator manages collections of animals at a museum while ensuring that the animal exhibits and educational materials are correctly displayed.
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Birds
An Ornithologist is a scientist who studies and works specifically with the different types or birds, comprising domesticated animals (pets and farm birds, such as chickens) and wildlife (including marine or sea birds).
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Mammals (Primates)
A Primatologist is a scientist who studies and works specifically with the different types of primates, such as apes and monkeys.
Minimum Entry Level:Â
Animal Species: Wildlife
CAREER PAGE
Minimum Entry Level: High School Certificate
Animal Species: Reptiles
A person who breeds carefully selected reptiles (snakes, lizards, geckos, iguanas) of the same species to reproduce offspring with the same qualities and characteristics.
Reptile Breeders generally breed specific species for either the pet trade or conservation.
The keeping of live reptile as a hobby or to sell for income is called herpetoculture.
Minimum Entry Level:Â
Animal Species: Wildlife
CAREER PAGE
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Wildlife
A Zoo Curator keeps and manages collections of animals at a zoo and tends to the animals, their exhibits and zookeeping staff.
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Wildlife
A Zoologist is a general scientist who studies and works with all or most of the wildlife species.
Minimum Entry Level: Bachelor’s Degree
Animal Species: Wildlife
A Wildlife Biologist observes and studies Terrestrial animals and plants found on land, in the air and fresh water, with a focus on field work, academic research, laboratory work, consulting, charity, outreach or policy making.
