Animal Care and Training
in the USA

Have you always had a strong desire to care for animals? Have you been intrigued by the amazing performance of dolphins and killer whales in oceanariums? Do you want to help save wild animals from the threat of extinction? Do you want to teach others to love animals as much as you do? If your answer is yes to any of the above questions, then you might consider a major in zoo keeping, animal training, or wildlife education. A number of colleges in the US offer programs to help students turn these dreams into reality by training them for the fascinating and growing fields of animal care and training.

In North America alone, more people visit zoos and aquariums each year than attend all professional sporting events combined. Animals are trained to perform in entertaining and educational shows at animal facilities and theme parks throughout the world. Animals are featured "actors" in many movies and television shows each year.

One of the most comprehensive programs of this type is the Exotic Animal Training and Management (EATM) Program located at Moorpark College, one of the Community Colleges of Ventura County in Southern California.

At Moorpark College students receive instruction in modern techniques of zoo keeping including nutrition, restraint, and veterinary procedures. A variety of animal training procedures are presented, ranging from techniques applicable for confined zoo animals to methods used in working animals in the movie industry. The human elements of the animal industry are also covered in courses dealing with public relations, fund raising, planning, and supervision. At the college's animal facility, "America's Teaching Zoo", the students are able to put into action practices they have learned in the classroom.

The extraordinary collection of exotic animals at Moorpark College has marmosets to an Asian elephant, blue-tongued skinks to alligators, button quail to ostrich. The present animal collection, numbering about 150 animals, is maintained on a five-acre facility on the college campus called America's Teaching Zoo. Students perform internships at the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Zoos, and special projects at animal facilities across the country. Students also receive classroom instruction in the techniques of presenting educational and entertaining animal shows. Then they refine their understanding of these principles and develop their own style by actually performing before the public.

Graduates from many of these programs throughout the US may receive a certificate of achievement, and to those satisfying the general education requirements of the college, an Associate of Science or Associate of Arts Degree in Exotic Animal Training and Management, Zoo Keeping, or Wildlife Management.

The Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) Teaching Zoo Program located in Gainsville, Florida offers a five-semester technical program which includes a wide range of practical instruction and clinical experiences leading to the Associate of Science Degree in Zoo Animal Technology. This program's curriculum is a series of sequential courses based on required professional competencies. SFCC has a diverse collection of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. The students receive hands-on experience in every aspect of wild animal care, from daily care to habitat construction and maintenance, to working with the public.

Through its Biology Department, the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oswego has a cooperative program in Zoo Animal Technology and awards the Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology.

Pensacola Junior College in Pensacola, Florida, offers a Zoo Animal Technology program leading to an Associate of Science Degree. Courses are held on campus while practical experience is gained at The Zoo in nearby Gulf Breeze.

Niagra County Community College, located in Western New York, 15 minutes from Niagara Falls and 20 minutes from Buffalo, offers an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Animal Management. Classroom and hands-on learning are effectively combined in the program. Students spend one day per week at the Buffalo Zoo each semester and two days a week for the summer school session.

Pikes Peak Community College offers an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Natural Resource Technology, to prepare students for jobs as zoo keepers. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, students gain hands-on experience while performing internships at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, offers a program leading to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoo Science. Students obtain practical experience at the Sedgwick County Zoo.

Through "America's Teaching Zoo" located at Moorpark College in Southern California, students can earn an Associate of Science Degree in Exotic Animal Training and Management. Moorpark College students may also choose from one of three areas of emphasis in their second year of study, these include: General Exotic Animal Training and management, Animal Behavior Management, and Wildlife Education. After graduation from Moorpark College, students may continue their studies at California State University at Bakersfield and earn a Bachelor's Degree in Natural Resources Management.

Many students imagine that the only way they can work with animals is by pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. In reality, the animal care industry is much broader than this. If you would like to learn more, call the colleges listed below.

For information about Animal Training Programs, call:
Moorpark College, Office of International Students, (805) 378-1414

For information about Wildlife Education Programs, call:
Moorpark College, Office of International Students, (805) 378-1414

For information about Zoo Keeping Programs, call:
Moorpark College, Office of International Students, (805) 378-1414
Niagra County Community College, (716) 614-6200
Pensacola Junior College, (850) 484-1164
Pikes Peak Community College, Office of International Education, (719) 540-7202
Santa Fe Community College, (352) 395-5604
State University of New York at Oswego, (315) 341-2776

Authors
Mr. Gary L. Wilson
Coordinator, Exotic Animal Training and Management
Moorpark College &
Dr. Anthony S. Tricoli
Vice Chancellor, Student Learning
Community Colleges of Ventura County
District Office

Photographs Provided by:
Mr. Chuck Brinkman IV
"EATM" Counselor
Moorpark College