Other Duties As Assigned

When I was first trying to break into the zookeeping profession, I must have filled out hundreds of job applications, and for ever job I applied for, I must have read three or four job descriptions.  Tucked away towards the bottom of almost every single one of them, nestled as an afterthought to the list of responsibilities of the position, I'd almost invariably find a final bullet point with four words.

"Other duties as assigned."

This translates roughly as, "You are mostly hear to feed and clean up after the animals, but make no mistake.  Your job is what we say it is."

Over the past decade-and-a-half, those "other duties" have included construction, maintenance, guest services, parking lot management, painting, public relations, errand running, and more.  I've gotten jobs thrown my way ranging from unclogging the most horrifically befouled toilet I have ever seen to dressing up as a the Easter bunny and letting hundreds of kids climb all over me in 100 degree weather while wearing a fur suit and a mask almost completely devoid of airholes.  I preferred the toilet, to be honest. 

Most of this all happened when I worked at smaller zoos, where there is considerably less specialization among the staff, though sometimes the bigger zoos I've worked at have also had "all hands on deck" situations, like zoo-wide clean ups and major events.   And there are some things that you're always expected to do, even if there's someone else with that specific job, like pick up trash that you see on grounds, or assist visitors with questions or concerns, animal-related or otherwise.

There are times when I prefer the big-zoo life, where you have your job, you know what it is, and you can really focus on it, specializing at it.  There are other days when I prefer how it is at a small zoo, when every day is different and your hair is a mess from pulling on and off a half dozen hats a day, metaphorically speaking. 

At the smaller zoos I've worked at, keepers or other staff have often taken on many of the jobs we'll be looking at this month.  At bigger zoos, the roles are more defined and specialized.  All are important to the functioning of the facility and the wellbeing of the animals, in one form of another.