Due to a variety of reasons, the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park is unable to accommodate job shadows. We do, however, offer a paid program where interested individuals can get hands-on experience working “as a zookeeper,” making diets and cleaning exhibits, and get a feel for what it’s like to be a zookeeper for a day. More information about these Zookeeper Adventure programs is available here.
We also encourage anyone interested in being a Zookeeper to visit the American Association of Zoo Keeper’s “Zoo Keeping as a Career” web page for a variety of helpful information.
The NEW Zoo does offer an extensive Internship Program which is meant to provide high school graduates with a variety of real-life, hands-on experiences on what it takes to run and operate an AZA accredited zoological facility.
For individuals who are not looking to complete an Internship, or for those under 18 years of age, our Volunteer Program can also provide real-world experiences in daily zoo activities.