Zookeeper - Deer and Antelope

An exciting opportunity is now available to join the Deer and Antelope section at Whipsnade Zoo as a Zoo Keeper. You'll become a valued member of a dedicated and experienced team, passionate about the care, welfare, and management of a diverse range of ungulates.

The section is home to large breeding herds, including some of the world’s most remarkable and endangered species such as the Indochinese sika deer (extinct in the wild), Père David’s deer, White-lipped deer, and Michie’s tufted deer. It also includes species managed under the European Endangered Species Programmes, including Scimitar-horned oryx, Visayan warty pigs, Przewalski’s horses, and Barasingha. Additional residents include Wild boar, Bactrian camels, and Yak.

The team is committed to continuous improvement, high standards of welfare, and active contribution to global conservation through breeding and husbandry excellence.

• Animal Care & Welfare: Support the preparation of approved diets and feeding procedures, maintain high standards of hygiene in enclosures, and assist with the delivery of enrichment and training programmes to support animal wellbeing.
• Health Monitoring: Observe animal behaviour, health, and security daily, administering veterinary treatments as directed and promptly reporting concerns to Lead Keepers or Section Managers.
• Record Keeping: Accurately input data into daily records, ZIMS, and risk assessments, ensuring compliance with internal procedures and animal management protocols.
• Visitor Engagement: Help create a positive and educational visitor experience by engaging with the public in a friendly and informative manner.
• Collaboration & Conservation: Work closely with the curatorial, veterinary, and research teams to support conservation goals and uphold equality, diversity, and inclusion standards in all aspects of your work.

• Successful completion of the Zookeeper and Aquarist Apprenticeship Programme or a Diploma in the Management of Zoo and Aquarium Animals (DMZAA) qualification (or equivalent).
• Practical experience of working with animals in a Zoo or aquarium (preferably hoof-stock in a zoological or similar setting).
• Ability to demonstrate initiative and a pro-active approach to completing tasks beneficial to the section/department.
• Ability to deliver keeper talks and presentations.
• Demonstrates respectful, punctual, reliable, trustworthy, and diligent behaviour
• Capable of supporting volunteers, apprentices, students, and colleagues as requested.
• Staff who are contracted in this role at our Whipsnade Zoo site require a full manual driving license as an essential requirement. 
• This role is physically demanding and involves long periods of standing, walking, lifting, and other manual tasks. It requires working outdoors in all weather conditions as well as indoors in environments with artificially high temperatures, with regular direct exposure to animals.

This role is subject to standard pre-employment checks, including the candidate's right to work in the UK.

We strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds and celebrate the value of having a team of employees with diverse skills, experiences, and heritage. We are committed to ensuring our teams can bring their authentic selves to work without fear of discrimination. ZSL has active equality networks for our staff with lived experience and those who provide active allyship in Race and Culture, Team Pride, Disability Network, and Menopause Network, complemented by our strategic EDI Steering Group.  

We’re ZSL, an international conservation charity. Through our unrivalled animal experts in our two zoos (London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo), the work of our pioneering scientists, our dedicated conservationists, our purpose is to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wild animals going extinct. Our vision is a world where wildlife thrives and we’re working every day to achieve this. From investigating the health threats facing animals, to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, we are committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction.  

What do we offer?  

At ZSL, we are proud of our approach to employee benefits. Our benefits include:  

• Our vision and purpose - you’ll work alongside colleagues who are passionate about science-led conservation, knowing that you will help us to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wildlife going extinct 
• Pension scheme - we offer a generous pension scheme with up to 12% contributory pension. 
• Flexible working – talk to us about your flexible working requirements and we will do everything we can to make sure you work in a way that suits you  
• Holidays – 25 days annual leave allowance, plus UK bank holidays  
• Wellbeing – access to a blended programme of wellbeing initiatives, including confidential access to our 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme  
• Life assurance – eligible employees will be enrolled in ZSL’s life assurance scheme from their first day 
• Complimentary tickets – annual allocation of Whipsnade Zoo and London Zoo tickets, with a 30% discount in online and retail shops  
• Cycle2Work - our cycle to work scheme enables you to lease a bicycle  
• Season ticket loan - we offer an interest free loan for eligibly London-based employees to buy a season ticket for travel between home and work  
• Family friendly policies – we offer enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption packages