Behind the scenes at a zoo can be wild and crazy! Join Jen to find out what it takes to be a zookeeper – hint: sometimes you have to clean up poop.
Have you ever gone to the zoo and wondered who is taking care of all of the animals? Someone has to feed them, clean up their enclosures and even train them for check-ups. In this episode, our host Jen meets three zookeepers and learns about the different skills, education and science behind a career taking care of amazing animals.
Watch the Lynx Keeper: Behind the scenes at a zoo can be wild and crazy! Join host Jen as she spends the day with Zookeeper Kellee. One of her jobs is taking care of the Canada lynx, a big cat that can make a big mess!
Watch the Giraffe Keeper: On her next adventure, host Jen meets another Zookeeper who works with animals 3 times her size! These young Masai giraffes require a lot of training but Zookeeper Azarra knows what it takes to keep these animals healthy and safe.
Watch the Reptile Keeper: The last zookeeper Jen meets on her journey is Nick. He takes care of the reptiles in the zoo and shows Jen a few of the animals in his care. They even get to take an iguana for a walk.
Support Materials
Use the resources below to help keep your kids learning – asking questions, learning new words, and exploring connected resources!
Discussion Questions
- What are some ways that you use your senses every day?
- How do you take care of your body to stay healthy?
- What foods are part of your diet?
- What questions would you ask a zookeeper?
- Do you like animals? Why or why not?
- What part of a zookeeper’s job looks hard? Fun? Messy? Smelly?
- What animals make good pets? Not so good pets?
- What are some ways that you can help protect animal habitats?
More Animal & Zookeeper Resources
These resources are from public media partner organizations – they’re educational, trustworthy, and will help you and your child learn more.