Photos: Courtesy Houston Zoo

But would you like to volunteer to work at the Houston Zoo? Get some backstage glimpses, maybe even a chimpanzee kiss?

The zoo begins its volunteer recruitment process this December 1, starting at 9:00 a.m. But they are highly sought after positions.

“We get roughly 200 to 300 applications each recruitment cycle and volunteer roles are very competitive,” says Samantha Junker, Director of Guest Engagement and Volunteers at Houston Zoo. “We are looking for people who love animals, enjoy talking to guests, are flexible, and are willing to learn. Volunteers don’t have to come in as animal experts; they just need to have the desire to help us connect guests to the natural world.”

There are several roles to be filled, from working on the landscapes to maintaining underwater habitats.

Photos: Courtesy Houston Zoo

“The most popular roles are keeper aides, they help our dedicated zookeepers behind the scenes cleaning habitats and animal bedrooms, preparing diets, and creating enrichment for a variety of different species,” Junker says. “Volunteers need to contribute an initial 20 hours in the petting zoo before they are even able to apply to be a keeper aide. Then there is a separate application and interview process with the animal care team to which they are applying. These are limited roles and it is even more competitive than the normal volunteer recruitment process. However, even keeper aides need to be able to engage guests, so we usually say that if someone is not keen on talking to people, they likely won’t thrive in the program.” The zoo is not opening applications for dive volunteers at this time but there some shifts they are eager to fill.

“The most difficult to fill are the guest engagement shifts, these are volunteers who are around giving directions, helping people take pictures, and telling stories about the animals,” Junker says. “It is not for lack of popularity or willingness, it’s just that we have a lot of Zoo to cover and it takes a lot of volunteers to do it!

Photos: Courtesy Houston Zoo

“We currently have about 450 active volunteers and we can always find roles for more. We are limited by the staff time it takes to train and engage this many people. Houston Zoo staff and volunteer mentors support this group with an initial six-hour training orientation, then a two-hour guest engagement training. There are also opportunities for volunteers to take advanced classes such as storytelling, and how to engage guests in each of our Take Action (conservation) initiatives. We also host two annual all-volunteer meetings and monthly coffee chats where volunteers have the opportunity to interact with staff from various departments, gain behind the scenes information they can share with guests and develop a deeper understanding of all the roles it takes to run the Zoo.”

And then there are 300 to 500 corporate volunteers every year. Organizations partner with the Zoo and send employees for a day of group volunteering. They usually help with things like planting, weeding, moving large amounts of dirt or substrate, or even adding logs and props to animal habitats.

Finally, there are community volunteers. People who come out and assist the Neighbors for Nature program in hands-on saving-wildlife opportunities that help restore outdoor habitats throughout the Houston area. These activities range from planting native plants and prairie grasses to litter clean-up.

Photos: Courtesy Houston Zoo

So, is it worth it?

“Some volunteers end up specializing in specific areas that they prefer,” Junker says. “There are several who know nearly everything there is to know about the elephant herd at the Zoo, including elephant genealogy dating back generations. These volunteers do a ton of research and are a wealth of information while others have a ton of institutional knowledge because they’ve been volunteering at the Zoo for 40 plus years! Others end up forming bonds with animals in sections where they frequent. One of the female chimpanzees, Lulu gives Volunteer Brian kisses through the glass whenever she sees him. One of the male chimpanzees, Chaos, similarly interacts with Volunteer David. He particularly appears to enjoy looking at David’s colorful socks and can be spotted near the glass whenever David is scheduled in that area!”

by Marene Gustin