Animal Curator

As an Animal Curator—or Zoo Curator—you’re a lot like a Museum Curator because you manage a collection. The difference is your collection is a living one that eats, breathes, roams and occasionally roars.

Equal parts Zookeeper and Matchmaker, you monitor the population of animals in your zoo to make sure you have the right numbers and the right species, then work with other zoos to acquire animals you lack or place animals you don’t need. You’re a Zookeeper, meanwhile, because you help study and care for your animals, making sure they’re well fed, groomed, and protected. Finally, you’re a Matchmaker, as you’re responsible for making sure your animals reproduce, which means creating breeding programs and working with other zoos to find appropriate mates.

Although you fill each of your three roles with equal gusto, your primary responsibility as an Animal Curator is that of animal advocate, which means designing animal-friendly exhibits, creating and delivering education programs for zoo visitors, and contributing to wildlife conservation efforts.

Of course, your job isn’t just caring for creatures. It’s also caring for the zoo, which involves lots of recordkeeping, communication, and administration. Don’t worry, though. Even then, it’s all about the animals!