The Virginia Zoo salutes keepers during National Zoo Keeper Week, July 18 – 24.

Zookeepers are knowledgeable and dedicated ambassadors for wildlife. National Zoo Keepers Week, July 18-24, is a chance to recognize keepers for their commitment, compassion and care for animals and their habitats.

When you visit the Virginia Zoo or our other AZA neighbors – the Virginia Living Museum, Virginia Aquarium and North Carolina Aquarium - this week, we encourage you to join us in saying “thank you” to the caretakers of your favorite animals and fish.

National Zoo Keepers Week recognizes zoo keepers, aquarists and animal care professionals in zoological parks and aquariums across the country. Keepers serve as animal care experts, educators and conservationists. There are about 6,000 animal care professionals in the United States.

Although many children grow up dreaming of working with animals, this job isn’t glamorous at all.  Keepers are responsible for maintaining healthy, safe habitats for the animals under their care, which involves a lot of shoveling feces and washing away urine!

They prepare animal diets, clean exhibits and provide enrichment to keep animals healthy and happy.  They closely observe and maintain detailed notes about each animal and participate in its health care.

The keepers at the Virginia Zoo all have college degrees in scientific fields such as zoology or biology. They arrive at the Zoo early – hours before it opens to the public – to check on animals, feed them and prepare exhibits for the day. Their job involves working outside in all kinds of weather – animals need to be fed and cared for during nor’easters, snow storms and blazing heat. They walk many miles each day in their journeys around the Zoo and regularly lift up to 50 pounds of feed and supplies at a time.

The rewards, they all say, are getting to share the lives of the animals and being part of a team that is protecting some of the world’s most valuable and endangered resources – our amazing animals.