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About Us

The Park

Founded in 1988, Out of Africa Wildlife Park has become home to hundreds of exotic animals from around the world, including Africa. Inspired by a living and colorful world of astonishing wildlife, we are committed to attracting, developing, and retaining qualified employees who share a passion for the wild kingdom and desire to be a part of our family, one dedicated to supporting and promoting conservation awareness and action, practicing exemplary animal care, providing education and learning experiences, and establishing broad community support, through a peaceful and interactive relationship with our animal friends who touch our hearts.

Steeped in fun, immersed in learning, Out of Africa is made up of a body of professionals and enthusiasts whose commitment to our organization has helped us deliver a world-class experience to thousands of visitors a year. At the park, employment is more than just a job. Employees can develop their appreciation of animals, the natural world, and the need for conservation, inspiring people to learn, care, and act. Connecting wildlife with people, it’s the perfect place to put your passion to work.

Working at the Park

Guest Services Jobs
Our entry-level positions require limited or no experience. Whether working in a gift shop, admissions, or food facilities, be a part of providing exemplary service in a fun and exciting work environment.

Animals and Plants
Keepers and landscapers provide care for our exotic animals, animal habitats, and plant collections. Join our team of knowledgeable and skilled professionals.

Operations
It takes a team of talented and skilled people to operate our facilities while providing a top-notch experience for our guests. These jobs include construction and maintenance, education, tours, and park management, drivers, etc.

Administrative Positions
It takes a strong support team behind the scenes to sustain the park’s functionality. Departments include Marketing and Public Relations, Human Resources, Finance, and more.

Applicant Requirements

All applicants must meet the following qualifications:

• be at least 18 years of age or have required work permit
• have a positive, friendly, outgoing personality
• Adhere to grooming standards (no visible tattoos, no facial piercings, etc.)
• Adhere to all policies, procedures, and customer service standards
• Pass a drug screen
• Some positions require a pre-placement physical or background check
• We participate in E-Verify
• Out of Africa Wildlife Park is a smoke-free workplace
• Out of Africa Wildlife Park is an equal employment opportunity employer

Job Categories

Entry Level

Guest Services
Positions require limited or no experience. Work permits required for anyone under the age of 18. Previous experience is helpful, but in-house training is provided.

Food Service
Sell food items at food concessions, and assist in food preparation. Food server/handler permit required for employment.

Merchandise Sales Clerk
Sell gift items at gift store. Other responsibilities include inventory, stocking, phone inquiries. Cross functionality requires assisting with admissions when required.

Ticket /Admissions
Sell tickets for park admission, coordinate groups, and special needs, phones, and various sales. Cross functionality requires assisting with gift shop sales when required.

Park Aide
Perform janitorial work including cleaning grounds and buildings. Must possess a current and valid Arizona driver’s license.

Engineering
Perform routine maintenance of buildings, facilities, vehicles, habitats, and infrastructure. Build and repair structures, habitats, roads, fixtures, electrical, water, etc. Jobs require a high degree of knowledge and flexibility of skill sets and qualifications, including operating heavy machinery.

Automotive Mechanic
Perform scheduled maintenance of vehicle fleet, including buses, heavy machinery, trams, trolley, cars, and trucks. Must be organized, effective in preventative maintenance, be able to work on specialty vehicles such as a Mercedes Unimog, respond to road calls, and operate lifting machinery in a safe and effective manner.

Maintenance
Responsible for day-to-day maintenance of buildings, facilities, habitats, roads, and more. Ensuring the safety of the employees, animals, and the general public through repairs, improvements are essential.

Requires basic knowledge of:

• Welding
• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Building materials
• Building codes
• Operate heavy machinery
• Compliance

Gardener/Landscape

Perform routine horticulture, grounds maintenance, tree and plant work as required.

Requires basic knowledge of:

• Soil conditions and preparations
• Irrigation, automated drip systems
• A variety of plants, trees, materials
• Landscaping, including rock and desert-scape

Animal Keeper

Keepers prepare diets, feed, and provide for the general care and welfare of assigned animals, free-roaming and/or exhibit, which include mammals, reptiles, or birds. Must be able to lift 75 pounds. Departments include:

• Core Group – Carnivores, Omnivores, Shows
• Serengeti Group – Herbivores, Safari Tours
• Herp, Chirp & Fur Group – Reptiles, Birds, Smaller Mammals, Shows

Requires basic knowledge of:

• Animal behavior
• Care, feeding, and handling
• Safety practices around wild-by-nature animals
• Animal biology, zoology, behavior sciences
• Techniques for sequestering, protecting wild animals

Security

Provides for the safety of visitors, employees, and animals. Protection against theft and park property.

Requirements include:

• Valid Arizona driver’s license
• Must be 18 years of age
• Valid pepper spray permit
• First aid/CPR

Animal Keeper FAQs

Perhaps you’ve considered a career working with animals and wondered what being an animal keeper is all about. Your love for animals is a great start, but what else is involved? Here are helpful answers to many of the commonly asked questions we hear regarding the animal keeper position.

Education and experience is a necessary component for all of our animal positions. Sometimes applicants think working with animals is a casual affair. The reality is that animal keeper positions are highly competitive and require individuals with particular backgrounds and skill sets related to life science, such as biology, zoology, or behavioral sciences.

Is it a fun job?

It’s always good to have a realistic view of any job before making it your career objective, especially in the field of an animal keeper. To the public eye, there is a glamorous side of working with exotic animals; holding a cute, cuddly baby would make anyone’s heart swoon. However, animals make messes, they bite, they get sick, they die, they hurt each other, and they can even hurt you. The work can be tedious, monotonous, dirty, hard, and unscheduled. Animal keepers know these efforts are an essential reality that allows for those more pristine and peaceful moments of animal endearment.

Is it easy to get a keeper position?

There are always more applicants than there are open positions at the park. Competition is stiff. Perseverance and patience are a plus, as positions do not come available often. Many of the applications we receive come from applicants who are or have already been keepers at other safaris and zoos.

What does it take to become an animal keeper?

There are many pathways to becoming a keeper. However, as a rule of thumb, the more education and hands-on experience you have, the better your chances.

Education

If you’re still in high school, take advantage of science classes like biology, anatomy, and zoology. At the college level, a degreed program in an animal-related field is strongly recommended. This would include fields such as biology, zoology, ecology, conservation science, and animal behavior. Take as many different related courses in those areas as you can, and graduate with a bachelor’s degree in your chosen field. Because competition is so fierce in the field of animal care, having a related college degree is with very little exception a prerequisite.

Hands-On Experience

Look for opportunities to work with animals. Many of our current employees had at one time volunteered or interned to gain their valuable hands-on experience. Check with your college for work-study opportunities, internships, etc. Click here to get involved with such programs at Out of Africa Wildlife Park.

Are there other ways to gain animal experience?

• Veterinary facilities
• Animal training/husbandry classes
• Humane Society
• Park Service
• Wildlife rehabilitation facilities
• Animal shelters
• Farms
• Pet breeders
• Horse boarding/stable facilities
• 4-H Clubs

Will working at Out of Africa Wildlife Park in a different capacity, such as an entry-level position, help?

Several employees have worked their way up the ranks here at the park. Remember that they came into that position with a proper educational background and applicable animal experience. In other words, an entry level position without obtaining the education and experience is not a realistic pathway to an animal keeper position. Volunteering and interning at the park, with proper educational background and applicable animal experience, is also a viable way to becoming a paid staff member.

What type of person makes a good animal keeper?

An outgoing, positive personality is essential, along with a strong work ethic. Applicants must have good observation and communication skills, work harmoniously with fellow staff and supervisors, and be able to work independently. Confidence is a must when addressing the public, whether speaking to large groups of people or being in charge of any situation. In addition to educating and entertaining our visitors, promoting a safe experience is crucial.

I enjoy animals, but don’t want to work as a keeper. Are there other jobs available?

Many people love being around animals in a natural-like environment, but not necessarily handling them. Bear in mind that less than half of the people working at the park work with animals. Find out what you’re good at, and determine a way to use those skills to help wildlife. You can get a college degree in a variety of different fields and find a job at a zoo, a wildlife park, a research station, or conservation program that requires your skills. Some job examples include horticulturist, mechanic, human resources staff member, public relations, accounting, and so on.

Where can I get a zoological degree?

Here are recommended degree and/ or vocational programs in the United States designed to teach students to be professional animal keepers:

Moorpark College, Moorpark, CA
Cat Tails Zoological Training Center, Olympia, WA
Santa Fe Community College, Gainesville, FL

There are many animal health technician programs offered at schools for registered veterinary technicians. Here is a sample you may wish to consider:

Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ
Colorado Mountain College, Glenwood Springs, CO
San Diego Mesa College, San Diego, CA
Pierce College, Woodland Hills, CA

Bachelor’s degrees and/or doctoral degrees in zoo and animal science are offered at:

Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

By no means have we listed the only available vocational and degreed animal science programs, simply some recommendations that may help you find a good fit for your career objectives. Browse your favorite search engine for others, including educational portals, career guide sites, school guidance counselors, etc.

Application Process:

• Required Forms: Applicants must submit the completed Employment Application Form, résumé, letter(s) of recommendation (if applicable), and cover letter. Incomplete applications will not be accepted, and “see résumé” is not an acceptable response on the application.
• Please note: Unless otherwise specified on the job opening description, e-mailed and faxed forms will not be accepted. All forms must be submitted together. For example, a résumé received without accompanying forms will be discarded.
• MAIL TO: Send your completed application and required forms to the following address:

Human Resources Dept.
Out of Africa Wildlife Park
4020 N. Cherry Rd.
Camp Verde, AZ 86322

Interview Process:

APPLICANTS
If you are a candidate for a current opening at Out of Africa Wildlife Park, and you have completed the application form and submitted it along with your current résumé, we will contact you within the next few weeks. Unfortunately, due to the number of applications and résumés we receive, we are only able to respond to those applicants who best match our current openings. Applicants meeting the posted job requirements will be contacted to arrange for an interview. During the interview, the supervisor(s) and staff will gather information pertaining to experience, career interests, and education and will answer any questions you may have. Final acceptance of the offered position is dependent upon a background check and drug and alcohol testing.

CURRENT JOB OPENINGS
In order to view posted job descriptions, you will need Adobe Acrobat. If you do not have it, you can download for free by following directions on this page: Adobe Acrobat

Click on the job title to download.

Please check back periodically for new openings.

EMPLOYMENT CATEGORIES

• Full-time Regular (Works 40 hours per week)
• Part-time Regular (Works 32 hours or less per week)
• Full-time Seasonal (Works 40 hours per week for typically more than 3 months but less than 1 year)
• Part-time Seasonal (Works 32 hours or less per week for typically more than 3 months but less than 1 year)
• Full-time Temporary (Works 40 hours or less for typically 3 months or less)
• Part-time Temporary (Works 32 hours or less per week for typically 3 months or less)

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:
Out of Africa Wildlife Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, a mental or physical disability that does not preclude performance of essential job duties, or any other status protected by law. The park supports and promotes workforce diversity and strives to foster a work environment of respect and inclusiveness where the contributions of all workers are valued and recognized.

WE PARTICIPATE IN E-VERIFY:
Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. This employer will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

IMPORTANT: If the government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to provide you written instructions and an opportunity to contact SSA and/or DHS before taking adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants or to re-verify current employees and may not limit or influence the choice of documents presented for use on the Form I-9. In order to determine whether Form I-9 documentation is valid, this employer uses E-Verify’s photo screening tool to match the photograph appearing on some permanent resident and employment authorization cards with the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) photograph. If you believe that your employer has violated its responsibilities under this program or has discriminated against you during the verification process based upon your national origin or citizenship status, please call the Office of Special Counsel at 1-800-255-7688 (TDD: 1-800-237-2515).