animal care specialist

security officer

school teacher

ambassador

San Antonio Zoo

To be fair, if you’re looking for a job to start up your experience for working, this is a good place to start seasonally or temporarily. They also are decent with being flexible with your schedule. 

I’m not a huge fan of the pay wages for the responsibility of operating heavy machinery and making sure all guests are safe. And not only that but being sure the guests are satisfied and having to deal with the difficult guests. And of course you will have to be prepared for outdoor weather constantly if you’re not in a higher boss position like a director/VP/President/HR/etc.

It also would have been better if this company would have their employees’ backs, but as similar as other companies, there are biases. There are plenty of micro-management when it’s unnecessary. Other departments’ management will intrude and be two-faces into your department as well as be unprofessional with situations. 

As an example without using names, a director/president of an another department took a photo of me on lunch break and sent it to my manager since “I was eating close to guests and it’s an interruption of the guests’ experience”. I wasn’t talking/doing anything to guests at all to make them uncomfortable and I was just trying to finish eating my sandwich and water so I could get to my work place without delay. There’s only one break room for employees and it takes 15 minutes to get there for my 30-minute break. There’s plenty of tables and benches for guests to use everywhere and also secluded tables that can be used for anyone. And yet again another department’s manager took a picture of me on a picnic bench when I was eating on break with my family and results ended up with me being told to not do that again.

It is completely unprofessional, rude, and an invasive to be taking pictures of employees on their break. But as long as it’s from a higher position, it’s your fault. But from my own witnessing, if you get well-liked by the higher bosses you can be given a newly-made position that you want. 

And don’t even get me started with micro-management. It is redundant to keep changing rules and protocol just because results are not 100%. It is okay to make rules for best regards, but every situation is not perfect. I find it even confusing that we have an SOP yet our bosses tell us to do the opposite. 

The zoo is a 301c non-profit. Meaning tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual.

For a 301c non-profit, the zoo acts like a corporate company. The zoo doesn’t care about their part-time employees. Only themselves. As long as the zoo is making money, they won’t change the toxicity. Just like any other company, they will focus on how to attract more money than caring for their worker’s health. 

They advocate that there’s benefits, but only for Full-Time positions. And there’s not that many full-time positions that are offered unless you are a manager and a higher position. After a month or two of working, you will discover the true working zoo environment. And you will figure out why the zoo is understaffed as I do not blame those for leaving. 

But not everyone who works there is toxic or unprofessional. There are good people. I did make great connections and friendships while working here. But overall, you can only do so much before you break down and dehumanized. 

I do have hope that there will be an awareness for change, but as of now I will take my leave as a San Antonio Zoo part-time employee for my own sanity. 

Typically, a day at the zoo can lead to a new adventure every shift. Making it an exciting and interesting job that lets employees experience something new and challenging so that they may discover new ways to grow in their careers.  
I have learned many things that help me move forward in this career such as, invertebrate husbandry, care for different species of animals and involving guests education and interactions for Flamingos, Koalas, Giraffes, and Butterflies. I have learned animal and invertebrate handling training, allowing me to do presentations to educate guests about conservation and wildlife.
In my experience at the zoo, I have gone through a change of two managers. Both of which having different styles and ways of communicating teaching me how to respond and respect others in different ways according to what each person would consider appropriate.
Like any job I work at, I try to bring a positive attitude and professional way of speaking and acting that can be reflected and learned from by my peers when needed.  
The job requires constant flexibility and willingness to learn information about new species that will be used for conservation messages to guests visiting. It provides a fun challenge though the communication can get lost sometimes due to large staff. So being mindful and commutative throughout the day is extremely important to ensure safety of everyone and the animals. 
The best part is being able to share my passions for animals and wildlife with those around me. My coworkers all share that passion making it a welcoming and clear career choice for me to stay in while also being able to share those interests with guests and young audiences who have questions and want to learn how to care for and protect animals.

unfortunately when i was employed here they were constantly going through management/front of house changes and due to this there was no real support for the teachers. lots of kids hitting, choking, biting not only the kids but teachers as well and management would refuse to send them home. the parents pay a lot for their kids to go there and they give them apples and off brand snacks daily. they have no actual playground or jungle gym because it’s “nature based” but what ends up happening is the kids get bored playing with water and dirt so they start playing tag or making up games (teachers were told tag wasn’t allowed because students kept tripping while running and they are very serious about keeping incident reports to a minimum there) so all you can do is make up games in which the kids can’t hurt themselves. i initially took the job because i was told in my interview i could transfer to animal care within the zoo then when the time came they said i wouldn’t be able to. assistant teachers only get paid $14.50 not $17. there are also an insane amount of cliques since all of the teachers are women. there’s tension between multiple teachers and teacher assistants and if you’re put with a lead teacher who is difficult it will not be fun going to work. the final issues was the assistant teacher has to be lead teacher when the lead teacher is on vacation or out sick but you do NOT get lead teacher pay. my lead teacher was constantly out and on vacation so i would have to lead and manage the entire class with zero prior experience. 

Ex-employee in the herpetology department. Terrible work environment, management doesn't care about their employees only kissing up to their boss in the most obnoxious way possible. I was there less than a year and witnessed blatant sexism from my direct supervisor, misuse of power, retaliation against employees for going to HR, and blatant animal neglect. Most of the animals there were obscenely obese to the point that they were unable to reproduce or even move at times. When this and various other problems were pointed out to management nothing was done about it. Sick and injured animals would only rarely see actual treatment since the staff was forbidden from contacting the veterinary department to set up appointments and the manager would constantly forget what animals needed treatment despite trying to hold staff meetings every morning. I absolutely loved the keeper aspect of my job, there is an incredible selection of reptiles there, many of which are only found at this zoo or in only a handful of top notch zoos. My coworkers were fabulous and we all tried to have each others backs and pick up the slack if someone was being overworked. However, management really can make or break a job and unfortunately that is exactly what happened here. So long as certain people are in places of power I don't even want to go back to visit.

Management is a mixed bag. Some managers are kind, courteous, and respectful where as a majority of managers are unprofessional. The heat is a major contribution to people suffering from overheating. The pay is very low about $11 per hour  before taxes. The zoo is broken down into several categories. Including catering, concession Stands restaurants, general labor, and more. Therefore there are lot of people in a position in power. Which is fine, however the lack of communication and to many people in charge contributes to a hugs mess of a business and workplace. Managers and Leads are often at odds with each other which makes it a very uncomfortable  environment It is very unorganized. The turn over rate is incredibly high, due to people quitting as a result of condescending bosses, hours are constantly being cut. You will go in for an 8 hour shift and only work 3 to 4 because the zoo is slow. They will cut you before you get to overtime. it is not a sustainable business model from corparate to the associates who interact with customers. I would not recommend this position to anyone. You can not make a livable wage and the job environment is very toxic. 

Working under guest experience can be fun with some employees, the pay is too low for the amount of work that is done. Maybe a dollar or two increase for those that have experience or are there for a certain amount of years would be nice. Be aware the customers can be difficult and you would basically need a backbone for the most part. Management overall could be better as leaders and trainers. There are always different job openings, and it's easy to get transferred if you want to experience a new position. The best part about this place is that they work around your personal schedule whether it's school or other priorities. Stays open even when environmental conditions can get extreme because they are nonprofit and can't afford to be closed even for one day. Overall, this position, in particular, is good if you have no experience and need some, or if you go to school, or just a side job to make some extra cash.

Let me say right off the bat: being a zookeeper here was my dream job since I came to this zoo as a kid. The animal collection is amazing, almost all of the fellow keepers were great to work with, and it was a pleasure to interact with the guests (most of the time). However, with brutally low pay, abysmal staff retention, crumbling facilities (literally), outdated animal care practices, and most of all, an unwillingness to embrace change, it made for an extremely difficult couple of years for everyone in my department. In fact, our department had not one, but TWO full turnovers of keepers in four years! I could go on forever, but I will stop myself here: the management is made up of some of the most toxic and egotistical I have ever seen, and the animals and keepers suffer for it on a daily basis. If you want to have a career as some kind of champion for wildlife, there is nothing for you here but a brick wall. You'll learn a lot here though - the hard way!

when I started here, I felt I had a purpose. There were many areas that needed improvement because previous leadership knew nothing about the how to run the section. I found out quickly there was resistance to anything I wanted to do. Many of the VPs thought the CEO was egotistical and often spoke of him badly behind his back. I saw on several occasions, him yell at employees or blame them for the stupidest things and, if he were wrong, never apologize for yelling at them. They expect you to be stuck your cell and email, so no work/life balance. Even though my salary was good, when it came down to it, I was probably getting minimum wage in the end w/all the hours. Bright spots were getting to see the animals from the zookeeper's perspective, they really loved their jobs and cared for the animals.There are a few bright spots w/middle mgmt, especially at the front gate and w/in the animal care positions. I couldn't wait to leave in the end though.

I love every single day I've worked at the San Antonio Zoo and I wouldn't give my time with them for anything in the world. But while I have learned invaluable skills, I cannot help but feel it is next to near impossible to move up on the work ladder. I have been a part-time keeper for 3 years now, applying for nearly every full time position available, but have always been overlooked. I do not hold this against the people who do get hired, but I cannot help but think "how am I supposed to gain the experience you want me to have if you want me to advance, when you refuse to give me the oppertunity to actually learn it?" I am no longer able to volunteer and work for free to get the experience you want me to have, so please do not look down on me when my only experience claim is "3 year part-time keeper".

When I first started it was fun and everyone was nice. But didn't know I was going to be working full time hours but getting part time pay. You would work 8 hours a day with just a 30 minute break for the whole day. And you were forced to take a break at 11am. Towards the end of my time here I felt like I was being used and disrespected. Other regular employees thought they were the boss and tried to tell me what to do. 

And in merchandise you don't go no where they seem to just hire from the outside even though they say they "Hire within".  

The managers at the beginning were nice then once they really know you some will start being rude to you and make you work in the heat.

The only thing that kept me sane was walking around the zoo and see all the beautiful animals they seemed to make everything better.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Pt 37 salaries reported	$12.44 per hour
Animal care specialist 24 salaries reported	$15.60 per hour
Security officer 9 salaries reported	$16.06 per hour
School teacher 8 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour
Ambassador 5 salaries reported	$14.50 per hour

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