BY TOM GILLESPIE

Special to The Pilot

In today's zoo, no one plays a more critical role in the care and welfare of the animals than keepers.

They must be not only caretakers for the animals, but also - as environmental and animal-rights issues move to the forefront - ambassadors to the public on the animals' behalf.

A career in zookeeping offers individuals a unique opportunity in the specialized and demanding profession of caring for captive animals for conservation, research, public education and recreation.

Zookeepers and staff at the North Carolina Zoo are often asked by those exploring a career in zookeeping and zoology what they need to do to get into the profession.

Zoos are continually looking for prospective keepers with technical expertise and a knowledge of science to provide the best animal care, educate the public, and often to participate in regional, national and international programs.

For those who are passionate about animals, are concerned about the challenges these species may face in the wild, and have a drive to make a difference, a career in zookeeping may be just the profession.

But it's a competitive field, and not for everyone. The job can often be unglamorous and dirty, and can involve long hours and difficult working conditions. In short, it can be extremely hard work.

But for those committed individuals who see it through, it can be a rewarding experience.

"(Through zookeeping) you can become the voice for some of the most endangered animals on the planet," said keeper Aaron Jesue. "Knowing that your work and passion could potentially make a global impact on their survival - or at least bring awareness to new people - is one of the greatest parts about being a keeper."

As one might expect, the keeper's day typically centers around animal husbandry:

n Exhibit maintenance: cleaning and maintaining animal areas (yes, that includes cleaning up animal excrement);

n Preparing animal diets/ feeding the animals: Some facilities (such as the N.C. Zoo) have nutritionists who help design animal diets and a commissary staff who prepare and deliver them to the keepers for distribution to the animals;

n Training and enrichment for the animals: Most zoo animals aren't trained to "perform" for zoo visitors, but they are trained to voluntarily cooperate in their own care; and

n Administer health care under the supervision of veterinarian staff members

A starting point in becoming a zookeeper is often as a volunteer or intern. There are other ways to get started, but zoos will often hire their interns and volunteers for full-time positions first before hiring somebody they don't know.

At the N.C. Zoo, the minimum educational requirement to become a keeper is a high school diploma and a couple years' experience.

But the positions are highly competitive, and almost all keepers have college degrees in science, biology, education or zoology. Job turnover is small, with only about five or six availabilities a year.

If keepers are in the field long enough, they can expect to progress to possibly a senior keeper position, a keeper supervisor position and potentially a curator position. But it usually takes seven to 10 years to have enough experience to progress to one of these positions.

Although competition for zookeeper careers at the N.C. Zoo is tough, those who do qualify can be sure that they've joined one of the finest zoo staffs in the country.

"Coming to work to hooting chimps and howling wolves ... is an incredible way to start your day that only a very few are lucky enough to experience," said keeper Becca Wentz. "As keepers, sometimes we forget how awesome our jobs really are, and sometimes it's not until we're talking about the animals to visitors and see their excitement that we're reminded of this."

For those interested in a zookeeper career, the American Association of Zoo Keepers has an excellent website, http://aazk.org/zoo-keeping-as-a-career/, at which to start, along with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' website http:// www.aza.org/careers-zoos-aquariums/.

Tom Gillespie works for the public affairs office of the N.C. Zoo.