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Image of career: Zookeeper

Zookeeper

Overview

Zookeepers are animal care specialists responsible for ensuring animal health and maintaining habitat standards.

Description

  • Prepare food and feed animals according to specific dietary needs.
  • Give medication or treatment to sick or injured animals.
  • Clean and repair animal living spaces.
  • Keep track of animals' behaviour and report any changes to veterinarians.
  • Keep records of animal health, feeding schedules, and enclosures.

Entry requirements

  • You need at least a Diploma in Life Sciences or similar fields to get started in this rewarding animal care career.

Salary

$2,300 – 2,800

/mo

Salary ranges are estimated based on public information found on Singaporean job portals, including MyCareersFuture, MySkillsFuture. Updated as of 2026.

Trivia

This job is male-dominated due to physical demands of caring for larger animals, but the number of women in this role is increasing.

What to expect

Patience is crucial - animals may not be tame initially, so you'll need to build bonds. Choose your animal specialisation wisely and research fully.

Soft
skills

Attention to Detail

Thorough nature in ensuring animal health and habitat maintenance.

Problem-Solving

Ability to solve animal care issues quickly to ensure animal safety.

Adaptability

Able to manage varied tasks and pivot with changing situations.

Animal Care

Knowledge and ability to perform daily zoo animal care, feeding, and health monitoring.

Biology

Understanding of animal biology and species-specific behaviours for proper care.

Basic Mathematics

Ability to calculate appropriate food or medicine servings for animals.

Hard
skills

Frequently asked questions

They need to calculate appropriate food portions for each animal, ensuring proper nutrition.

Besides feeding and watching for behavioural changes that indicate illness, they provide mental stimulation through toys and activities to ensure animals get proper exercise and mental stimulus.

Beyond park visiting hours, they stay to monitor and feed animals, and take care of their enclosures. This presence helps build trust with animals.

They're equipped with proper restraint equipment and professionally trained to use it safely. They always follow strict safety protocols when feeding or handling animals.

They secure the area, evacuate visitors, and search for the animal. Trained personnel will contain and capture it, and if needed, zoo management contacts local authorities for assistance.