philanthropy manager

senior accountant

maintenance technician

learning and development manager

field technician

Brevard Zoo

Poor management in most departments. Huge amount of favoritism. No support for those who are not favored. Managers are allowed to send threatening emails and talk to subordinates inappropriately. Gossip runs rampant and is allowed. Education and experience are not respected qualities in employees below senior management level. When issues are brought up to HR or higher, they are dismissed and not taken seriously. Employees actually get in trouble for protecting the animals they are supposed to be caring for. Safety concerns for both staff and animals are ignored if they occur in areas of the zoo that are not open to visitors/are not money makers. Working environment is uncomfortable and there is always the threat of being fired looming over your head. The zoo touts itself as a conservation organization but does not conduct itself in this manner unless there is a monetary gain. I was very disappointed to realize the true agenda of this organization, and that was what lead to my decision to leave.

Management and administration:  Please listen to and respect your employees, all of them. The staff outside your administration building know the way your zoo really functions. Address issues that are brought up instead of shaming/bullying the people that bring them to your attention.

In terms of esthetics, it's a beautiful zoo. But that's where the fun ends. As an Adventures Specialist, you are mostly working with young people and they are not very welcoming. The department is a revolving door for new employees as it is hard to get accepted into the clique. Especially if they're threatened by your abilities and work ethic. There is a lot of time spent doing nothing and being bored to death, particularly if you cannot relate to the inane subject matter of the chit-chat among your coworkers. Also, you get spend time around the kiddie pool listening to screaming kids on certain days. 
As far as doing the kayak tours, be mindful of the word police. They are everywhere. Every word you say is usually being scrutinized because God forbid you say something that can even be remotely controversial they will make you cease and desist immediately even if the guests loved your tour and your presentation. They want you to talk to every guest like you're speaking to a hypersensitive child. 
Most of the volunteers that work there are nice people but the many of the paid employees are distrustful and conniving. 
If you're looking for a career working with animals this job will be a huge disappointment. You will be dealing with the same office politics and phony personalities  you see in the corporate world. 




While the work isn't the most challeneging you constantly work in hot working environments and underpaid for the hard work that you do.

The environment was extremely cliquey and probably the most unfriendly place I’ve worked at. At first I was very happy to get a position here but it becomes very apparent that if you are new its very hard to know who you can trust if you cannot get into a clique fast.

The people who train you each have different expectations with how they want things done, information on animals, and it’s difficult keeping up with their wants when it’s not very clear as to what you should be doing. For example with the animals there I was told several conflicting facts by my coworkers to a point I was unclear on what I could and couldn't say and was repermanded for giving "incorrect information and spreading sterotypes" when that is what I was told to say. 

But the worst part is gossip is constant at all levels. When there were no customers the volunteers would almost immediatly start to gossip about those who weren't there.

Overall, it was a miserable work experience and shows a clear lack of professionalism on all levels.

Your work and value to this company is based on loyalty to its leadership, not performance. If you have a strong will and strong work ethics then i would plan on getting pushed out about 2 years in if you arent loyal to the tyrants that run the place. I witnessed employees break most of the policies in the employee handbook daily but were loyal to the tyrannical leadership and never got talked to or corrected and were enabled to do so by leadership while the people that were great at they're jobs and were reliable and effective got fired or pushed out or harrassed. Many many great people have worked here and are gone, whats left is those that are unqualified and make bad decisions but are loyal. I was told by leadership more often than not thanks for the hard work you did but just know that your replaceable and we could care less. That attitude from leadership coupled with being made to do things incorrectly and having to deal with the animal department people being ultra sensitive about anything they can think of and its a recipe for disaster for hard working logical and rational people. 

Potential zookeepers beware! Toxic work environment. Safety concerns for animals are ignored and keepers are even punished for addressing them. Turnover rate is very high. Upper management is disrespectful and show extreme favoritism. Zookeepers are overworked and underpaid. Managers send threatening, rude emails. Lack of support and no room for advancement. Gossip is constant at all levels. Management would rather continuously hire new staff then appreciate and respect the great employees they already have. 

It's a shame this zoo is under such poor administration. It has the potential to be a great place to work. Unfortunately that won't happen until upper management/administration is changed. 

Note to management: Listen to your employees. ALL of them, not just your favorites or the "important" ones. The keepers work with these animals on a daily basis and have good suggestions and ideas. Try listening to them instead of punishing them.

Starting out, I was excited but nervous about instructing zoo camp. I feel that I learned a lot in my training over the course of about 3 days. For the first few weeks I was in camps with more experienced staff members, and by the middle of summer I knew how to run most of the activities and was lead in my classroom. We each got 2 breaks that were staggered throughout the day. It was a perfect system to keep my mind fresh and focused on making sure everyone had fun and learned. It was genuinely engaging for me as well as the kids. I learned a lot working there that I don't think I would have otherwise. Management was extremely nice and understanding when I had a situation come up one day where I had to leave early. They will work with you to have someone fill in if something unexpected comes up or you just need extra help. I don't think I met a single employee I didn't like while I was there. I really felt respected and listened to by the other staff. I'm just sad I can't work there longer!

You are overworked in tough, hot working environments and underpaid for the hard work that you do. There are minimal opportunities to get raises. The environment was cliquey and probably the most unfriendly place I’ve worked at. 
I was so excited to work here at first, but I quickly ended up being miserable due to how my coworkers treated me and how the behavior was dismissed. The people who train you each have different expectations with how they want things cleaned, and it’s difficult keeping up with their wants when it’s not very clear as to what you should be doing.  
Overall, it was a miserable work experience. 
However, it was really nice getting to see the animals every day, and the Adventure Services people are really nice and friendly. The work itself is rewarding and easy to get a hang of, the main issue is how your coworkers treat you.

I enjoy working with all animals and iterpreting the guest about the feeding habits, growth, the places where certain animals come from, such as Africa, South America Florida or Australia and the South Seas. I am happiest around the aviary, taking care of the various birds from around the world, feeding and cleaning them and assisting guest.
My other happy pace is the Mearkat Manor, with 14 little animals, again keeping the guest informed of their habits, feeding and social structures. Also across from the mearkats re two very large pythons to observe and informed the guests as to their size, weight and behaviour.
It is a pleasure to work with the animal keepers as well as the other staff and volunteers.
learning to interact with guest and staff and to love the conservation efforts of the zoo.

I highly recommend the ZooTeen program to young people looking to volunteer in the Brevard County area. The staff are super supportive of the ZooTeens, and I never felt unneeded or unvalued. The interview and training process was very professional, and really prepares teenagers for what their future workplace will be like. The training process was very good at preparing the ZooTeens for their tasks while volunteering at the zoo, and the staff and other teens are always open to answering questions and helping you if you need assistance. I highly recommend this program to all teenagers in the Brevard County area. It had a large impact on my learning and high school experience, and I will cherish it forever. 

Working at the zoo, whichever role you're in, you will be outdoors, around animals and wildlife. And for me that was hard because of my many allergies to animals and plants, so bring meds if you need it. You will also be around gators, birds, and other creatures. But you will also be around some of the nicest people around. Everyone's a family at the Brevard Zoo and if I didn't have to move away I'd probably still be working there today.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Philanthropy manager 6 salaries reported	$68,333 per year
Senior accountant 3 salaries reported	$70,000 per year
Maintenance technician 2 salaries reported	$20.50 per hour
Learning and development manager 2 salaries reported	$18.19 per hour
Field technician 1 salary reported	$16.32 per hour

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