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Lions,
tigers and bears—oh my! Wouldn’t it be exciting
to work with exotic animals every day, and make a living doing
it? While you might not work with such large creatures, wildlife educators do handle and display lots of other
animals such as opossums, geckos, tarantulas, hedgehogs, giant
frogs, walking sticks—the list is as long as a giant
python! They also have an opportunity to travel and interact
with kids and adults, and teach them about lots of different
animals that can be found throughout the world. In the forest,
desert, or even your own backyard!
Wildlife Educators
can work in many different areas:
Rehabilitation-If
you have a knack for taking care of your own pets and making
them feel better, then you’ll love being a wildlife
educator. Many educators get their start by taking care of
sick, injured, or abandoned wildlife and/or pets. For instance,
some people keep exotic animals as pets--like green iguanas,
raccoons, opossums and squirrels—but after some time,
they get tired of caring for them. You could keep these animals
for your own “show and tell” business, or make
sure they get adopted by someone who'll love them as much
as you do.
Lights-Camera-Action!-Many movies, TV shows or commercials use exotic animals. The producers and directors don't have the training or knowledge necessary to control a wild animal during a movie, so they hire wildlife educators to keep an eye on the animals during the shoot.
Guest Appearances- Television and radio stations often need interesting and unique guests to appear on their show. Animal Planet, late night talk shows and afternoon variety shows are always in need of unusual guests/acts. Most guests do not get paid for their appearance. But many stations will provide your info, like phone number and web site address.
Interview with Wildlife Educator Robyn
Wheeler:
 Many
young people dream of having a job where they can work with
animals, and as a young girl, Robyn Wheeler had that exact
desire. “Ever since I was a kid I wanted to work with
animals,” Robyn said. She followed her heart, and even
turned her dream into a full-time business.
Robyn is known
as “The Creature Teacher,” and she brings her
menagerie to places like birthday parties, day care centers,
scout meetings, carnivals, senior citizens homes, and schools.
What does Robyn
keep in her care? Twenty-two different species, including
a chinchilla, a hedgehog, a lizard, a gecko, hermit crabs,
a tarantula, walking sticks—and even Madagascar Hissing
Cockroaches. Yikes!
Before starting
her own business, Robyn learned a lot about animals by working
at Disneyland. “I cared for horses, birds, and even
the occasional reindeer, pig and camel,” she explains.
Robyn worked hard caring for the animals, often from 6 am up until 2 in the morning.
“I cleaned
stalls, fed hay and grain, bathed horses,” Robyn said, ”and I rode in the parades and talked to the guests at the
petting zoo about the variety of animals we housed, and what
it was like to care for them.”
After working
at Disneyland, Robyn began teaching teenagers about jobs in
the pet care industry, such as working in a pet shop, a dog-grooming
salon, or at a veterinary office. She also volunteered
for Friends of the Sea Lion in Laguna Beach, California, rescuing
sick and injured seals and sea lions and then returning them
back to the ocean home.
Robyn truly loves
her line of work, but says that becoming a wildlife educator
takes a lot of determination as well as patience.
“Getting
started isn’t easy,” said Robyn. “You must
be persistent, research many areas, develop a plan,
and put together a list of possible animals that might hold the interest of large groups of people.”
Take a walk on the wild side with this awesome career!
What
You Can Do to Get Ready:
Robyn has a degree
in Animal Science from Cal Poly Pomona in Pomona, California,
but she says it’s also very important to have a love
of animals and to feel comfortable around them. Pre-teens
can volunteer at local animal shelters or with a rescue operation.
Or they can find a volunteer job, or possibly even paid work,
at a local zoo, animal shelter, pet shop or with a veterinarian.
When in college,
pursuing a major not only in a science related-field but also
business administration, is a good idea. Excellent courses
would include marketing, accounting, biology and zoology and
courses providing computer instruction.
Younger children
can learn more about animal care by volunteering to take care
of neighbors’ pets while they are on vacation, or by
visiting their local library and checking out books about
different types of animals. It’s also a good idea to
visit zoos, nature parks, or wildlife sanctuaries and talk
with professionals to learn more about different types of
creatures.
What
it Pays:
The average
income for this type of business in $50,000 to $100,000 depending
on how high or low you set your rates. Prices usually depend
on how many animals you have to offer and how exotic they
are. Someone with 50 animals including baboons, alligators
and vultures would charge more than someone with 25 animals
that includes lizards, frogs, bugs and birds. Remember that
a good portion of your income will go to housing, feeding,
cleaning, and veterinary bills.
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