zookeeper

character performer

San Diego Zoo

I worked over the summer at the zoo & loved it. They keep some people past seasonal & all summer I was told I was going to be one of those people. The last week of summer, I came down with bronchitis, I called into work one day hoping to feel better for the next day. When I wasn't any better, I went to the doctor who diagnosed me & gave me a note to give to my employer. I brought it in immediately, even though I could barely speak. The doctor excused me for the two days I missed, plus two days after. They demanded I get a release note from my doctor stating when I can return to work, which I did without question. All of the leads had said I was staying & I was definitely excited, until the supervisor handed me a piece of paper saying my last day was Sept 1 & I could call the week of Nov. 3rd to come back for the Christmas season.

That same supervisor told me I was unworthy of a meal when a coworker asked me if I wanted to split a sandwich & fries with her. & I was not able to eat it. But, I digress...

I called at 9am, on Monday, November 3rd, eager to get back to work. They took my name, number, what cafe I worked in & told me someone would be in contact with me by Tuesday. Wednesday rolled around & I still hadn't heard anything, so I called again. The office told me that no notes were made on my file & they would resend an email. Friday rolled around & I still hadn't received a call, so again I called. They said the same thing. Meanwhile, I was informed by an employee that they already brought back 2 people for work. Livid is an understatement. Why would you completely ignore a former employee, who clearly, wants to work?! I was told I'd be contacted with a decision the following day at the latest & I still have not yet been informed. I understand that it's not very busy, they may not need more people, but they could easily pick up the phone & call me to say that.

If you like to be looked down upon, talked down to & ignored, the San Diego Zoo is the place for you!

I did a little of every job in the restaurant, except for cooking . I mainly worked as a cashier, interacting and helping with guests, also helped with food prep, such as refilling condiment containers, slicing tomatoes, and preparing ingredients for use in the next day. I also helped with restocking of the cups, plates, lids, bottled drinks, etc. I sometimes participated in the opening procedures and also the closing procedures of the restaurant. On few occasions i would work a food cart independently. Management was always nice and helpful  to the workers, sometimes on busy days 1 or 2 of the managers would come in the restaurant and help us, they would call out the orders, help cook the food, and help with preparing the drinks. My co-workers and i might not be the best of friends, but we worked very well together, i cant think of a single thing to complain about them, which in my opinion is an ideal work environment. The hardest part of the job for me would be washing the dishes, because we go through a lot of trays, pots, pans, and utensils, and our restaurant was one of the few that didn't have a dishwasher. Washing all the dishes and trays would take quite a while and strain my back, especially since I'm 6'5" and had to bend over for a long period of time. The most enjoyable part of the job would probably be the environment, walking past all the animals on your way to work was pretty cool, also most of the guests are happy families that are having fun together, so it's enjoyable to help them. Overall working at the Safari Park is a lot of fun.

Typical complains about Wal-Mart are that the employees are not in a union, and that the wages keep people in poverty. After working more than eight years for this company let me tell you that things are not that different here.

We pay union fees, but that doesn't mean much for I still do not get more than 25 hours a week, regardless of season (busy or slow). I do not have benefits, and my yearly income is below poverty level. 

There's a lot of pros to working for this company, your co-workers are great, you meet people from ALL over the world, and you work at  great location.

Management however is under a great deal of pressure to cut labor at any cost, as I said above, you will not get more than 25 hours a week working in most of the merchandise locations with very few exceptions. 

Management can also go from respectful, to highly unprofessional, some managers yell and talk down to their employees, while others will respond to complains or issues you bring up by reducing your hours. Raising issues in anyway, no matter how valid or professional you do it is seen as highly undesirable. The general idea is that those who do are whiners and complainers.

Even though asking for more scheduled hours from a company you have been working in for more than 8 years is neither whining, nor complaining.

When I was hired to work at the zoo, throughout the hiring process I felt very uncomfortable. I have tattoos (that are coverable) and was asked to show my tattoos. One of the three women told me that they weren't supposed to hire anyone with tattoos, one of the other women flat out said that wasnt true. During this time, I had another job which I made them aware of. They told me that working at the zoo requires me to be fully dedicated to them instead of my other job, which I was willing to do. I was hired to work in one of the food areas around the zoo. During the short time I worked there, my schedule was changed three times within two days. My manager then texted me and harassed me (the woman who made me show her my tattoos). The job itself wasnt bad, but my coworkers would talk in Spanish 80% of the time, leaving me out of the loop. Also, you're given a time you're supposed to be there, but not a time that you're supposed to leave at, as well as having on call days. When I did leave the zoo (due to inconsistent scheduling) I was sent an exit interview where I voiced all my concerns. I never heard from them again, leading me to believe they don't care about employee input.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Meeting guests from all over the world and engaging in conversations about why they chose to visit San Diego and the Zoo. Love recommending other places to visit while visiting San Diego.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Most stressful was during Covid pandemic. Just trying to get guests to simply follow basic rules put in during pandemic. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Most managers and co-workers seem to really enjoy working at the Zoo. Having the opportunity each day to visit the exhibits and see the wildlife every day really makes you think how lucky to be working in this type of environment. The Zoo itself is absolutely beautiful and you feel a lot of pride in how the employees treat the guests. If you are a people person and enjoy meeting people than this is a great place to work.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Looking forward each day to meeting new people from all walks of life. Also seeing how much the locals come back time and time again! Just trying to make our guests feel welcome and hope they get the most out of seeing what the Zoo has to offer. Of course when I was working retail my goal was to sell, sell and make sure people were having a great time!

I worked at the Safari Park. It is a competitive field and you'll definitely have to work weekends and holidays. The jobs though are fun, and the atmosphere and the care of the animals is phenomenal. It definitely is one of the best zoos to work for, just don't expect a full-time job. I was there for over 3 years and worked into different positions but never made it to full-time before I left. 

Getting time off is competitive, too. If you're at the bottom of the chain, you have to wait until everyone else fills out the leave calendar, and you most likely will not get all the days you want... and you'll have to know in advance when you want off. It is difficult to get weekends and holidays off.

The hourly pay is actually great for tour guides, keepers, handlers, exhibit attendants and trainers, but again, not full-time for most, so it breaks even. 

You do get discounts and free tickets to the Zoo and Safari Park, and they used to do SeaWorld too, not sure if they still do.

The animals are definitely the best part of your day. You are there to make a difference, so it is rewarding. Just not financially.

I have worked in the Education department at the San Diego Zoo for 10+ years, and have loved every minute of it! It is an extremely flexible environment, which I relied upon heavily when my children were small. Co-workers are supportive and are always willing to cover for one another. We get to work with and handle exotic Animal Ambassadors, and get to share with the world the importance of conservation and green life choices. I have had the opportunity to learn constantly, to help out other departments (I studied parasitic diseases in graduate school; the pathology department borrows me on occasion to help out!), to head up large curriculum development projects, and to share my workplace with all sorts of visiting friends and relatives!

I work at the zoo, but feel like I'm not appreciated enough. I am receiving only about 20+ hours a week and we don't have that big of a staff. I love working at the zoo because of the animals, and I do my job, but I need to benefit more from working here. A typical day working here is I come in, make sure everything is set up in the restaurant, cleaned from the day previous, helping out in any way that I can. My workplace isn't the most ideal workplace because of the fellow co-workers that I have and their attitude, but I deal with it. I always remember I'm there to work, not make friends. I learned a lot from working at the zoo overtime. The management is good, but also could be a little better. The hardest part of working here is just the co-worker attitude, it isn't high school so everyone should stay professional. The most enjoyable part of this job is being able to look at animals before and after my shift. They are the reason that I put up with work and always come in with a good attitude, and because I need the job for now.

Working at the San Diego Zoo has been fun experience in which I have been able to interact with people from all over the world. I really enjoy the fact that all of my co-workers are very friendly and team oriented. Also, as an employee at the San Diego Zoo I get to go to the Zoo and Safari Park for free and I am allotted tickets so I am able to bring friends and family as well as receive a 20% discount on food and souvenirs. I also get deals on Padres and Chargers tickets as a zoo employee. The only downside is that management is strict with policies such as uniform (no dyed hair, visible tattoos, or facial piercings), as well as with sick calls and being late, there is not a lot of leniency. Also, there is a lot of favoritism between certain leads and certain clerks which when recognized creates a feeling of an unfair environment. And since the zoo is open 365 days of the year forget about having any holidays or weekends off since vacation days and days off are given by seniority.

I like working here for my first job. I'm usually taking customers' food orders or serving them drinks and ice cream. If not that, then stocking items and stuff like that. The pay is pretty good, but it makes sense that the hours can be inconsistent each day as it depends on the days being busy or slow. I've met new people here and it's not too demanding, but I've made a few mistakes but learned from them, such as with preparing the food or serving drinks or stuff about safety. The management is alright. The workplace is fine, just regular. Nothing overwhelmingly strict, it's fair stuff. The hardest part of the job is dealing with the large amount of customers when it's super busy, but I'm used to it. The most enjoyable part of the job is the breaks you get so you can relax in between haha. The summer time could of course get very busy, weekends as well. Overall, for my 7 months of working here so far, I'll say I'd recommend it. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Zookeeper 3 salaries reported	$26.56 per hour
Character performer 1 salary reported	$17.25 per hour

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