Kid Territory:Jobs: Keeping It Safe
Security staff at both Zoo and Wild Animal Park spend a lot of time outdoors, surrounded by all sorts of wildlife!
Visitors to the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park can count on security staff to help with directions, answer questions, or retrieve lost items.
Two-way radios help security staff report problems they may encounter when they patrol Zoo or Park grounds.
What we do
We’re called Security Officers at the San Diego Zoo, and Rangers at the Wild Animal Park. We patrol the grounds, making sure all is well with guests and animals. We respond to medical emergencies, reunite lost kids with their parents, and find and return lost items. We assist with animal moves when an animal has to go to the Zoo’s or Park’s hospital for checkups. We keep the Zoo and Park safe and secure at night as well as daytime, and safeguard keys and money.
What’s cool about this job
We get to meet and talk with people from all over the world that come to visit. And we like helping people, both guests and employees. We’re working in a world-famous place, in beautiful surroundings. This job is a rare find in the security field, as we get to follow our chosen careers AND work around the exotic animals and plants. Things are never dull around here!
Job challenges
When you get a call to assist, you never know exactly what situation you’re walking into. Our job can be stressful because we sometimes respond to emergencies, some of them serious medical situations. We are also on our feet a lot, and our working hours may be variable, depending on the time of year.
How this job helps animals
We keep the animals safe. Sometimes we are asked, as we patrol the Zoo or Park grounds, to check on sick or convalescing animals or assist with birth watches.
How to get a job like this
Educate yourself in the security field. Qualifications include classes like first aid and CPR, defensive training with a 40-hour academy, or being registered as a private security officer. You also need to be qualified with a weapon and have a special permit. And you need good people skills.
