Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium Kids Kingdom Attendant
May 2018 • Pittsburgh, PA
What I liked
I enjoyed getting to interact with the public on a daily basis and increasing my knowledge in animal care-taking for my future career.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Zookeeper Intern
May - June 2019 • Pittsburgh, PA
What I liked
The work was nothing too extreme or difficult. I worked in Kid's Kingdom, which gave me an opportunity to work with a variety of animals. You are given space to do the work yourself without someone watching over your back making sure you are doing it correctly. There is so much to learn about animal care and the animals themselves. You can develop a relationship with the animals as well as discover each animal's own personality.
What I wish was different
I wish that the Zookeepers and staff treated the interns and each other with more respect. They were constantly talking badly about each other and about past interns that it made you worry about what they thought of you. I constantly felt belittled and uncomfortable. They even talked badly about their boss to his face, and not in a constructive manner. I was being taught one thing and the next day when I worked with someone else they would say, "forget everything you learned, I'm going to teach you the correct way." They each thought they knew what was best and they didn't like to be questioned. Because I was taught differently every day, when it came to doing the work on my own I often was lost and forgot what was required of me. Some staff didn't even have respect for the guests. One, in particular, stated that he/she hated people and even children... he/she worked in the kids' section of a public zoo!
FYI: The program was to last all summer but after a month of working in this environment and some personal issues, I quit.
Advice
You have to have thick skin. Be aware that the employees are working here because they prefer animals over people. However, they do love what they do and love the animals as if they are family, which is respectable. If you love animals and can stay positive through lots of negativity, you will be fine.
