Celebrating Zoo Keeper Day

Every day at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, our animal keepers are busy caring for some of the world’s most incredible animals. From preparing meals and cleaning habitats to monitoring behaviour and supporting conservation work, being a zookeeper is about much more than simply spending time with animals.

To celebrate Zoo Keeper Day, we’re taking a look at what goes on behind the scenes and why our keepers play such an important role in life at the Zoo.

What does a zookeeper do?

Each morning, our keepers carry out important checks to make sure the animals are healthy and happy. They observe their behaviour, check their habitats and make sure they have everything they need for the day ahead. Feeding is another important part of the job. Our animals have carefully planned diets designed around their individual species and needs. Keepers prepare food, provide fresh water and make sure animals are eating as they should.

There is also plenty of cleaning and maintenance involved. Keeping animal areas clean, safe and suitable is a big part of ensuring good welfare.

It's all about knowing the animals

One of the most important skills a keeper develops is knowing the animals in their care.

Our keepers spend a huge amount of time observing individual animals and getting to know their personalities, routines and normal behaviours. Animal care isn't just about food, water and a clean habitat. Our keepers also provide enrichment to encourage natural behaviours and keep the animals mentally and physically active.

This could include introducing new objects, changing how food is presented, creating opportunities for animals to forage or encouraging natural behaviours such as problem-solving. Enrichment can be as simple as hiding food around a habitat or creating something new for an animal to investigate.

At Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, our keepers care for a wide range of species, from small mammals and birds to some of the largest land animals on Earth.

Zookeepers also have an important role in education and conservation. At Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, our keepers have daily talks to tell our visitors all about the animals they are seeing here at the Zoo. 

By caring for animals and helping visitors learn more about them, keepers can inspire people to understand and protect wildlife. Talking to visitors, answering questions and sharing fascinating facts about the animals can be a big part of the job too.

Behind every animal you see at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm is a team of people working hard to provide the best possible care.

Thank you to our keepers!

Zoo Keeper Day is a chance to recognise the knowledge, hard work and dedication that goes into caring for animals every single day.

Whether they're up early preparing breakfast, carrying out health checks, cleaning habitats, creating enrichment or sharing their knowledge with visitors, our keepers are an essential part of life at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm.

So, next time you visit, take a moment to say hello to our keepers and ask them about the animals they care for. You might just learn something new!