Job Board

Job Board

The following posts are strictly informational and to benefit those looking to further their career in Animal Care.

The Nature of Wildworks

Coarsegold, CA

Job Opening
Part-time Animal Caretaker

Salary: $ 20.00 per hour

Animal Caretaker – Full
The Nature of Wildworks was founded in 1995 and is a well-established nonprofit
wildlife care center located in the beautiful Sierra foothills of Madera County, Central
California.

Our mission is to provide lifelong, quality care for rescued animals—both native and
exotic species—while educating the public through private guided tours and outreach
programs featuring our animal ambassadors. We strive to inspire our community to
respect, appreciate, and conserve wildlife.
We are not officially open to the general public, but we offer private guided tours on a
daily basis.

We are seeking an Animal Caretaker to join our team. The position will be five days per
week (8 hours per day.)

If you would love the opportunity to work closely with approximately 70 animals, enjoy
working outdoors in a remote setting, and genuinely believe in our mission, we would
love to hear from you!

Responsibilities

A typical day begins with essential feeding, cleaning, and facility upkeep, followed by
guest interaction, tours, and other operational tasks that help keep the center running.
Responsibilities include:

  • Prepare diets according to established protocols and feed and water animals.
  • Clean and maintain animal enclosures and surrounding areas, including raking,
    scrubbing, shoveling, and waste removal.
  • Assist with general property maintenance, repairs, special projects, and upkeep
    of animal and guest areas.
  • Clean and sanitize food preparation areas.
  • Monitor feed and supply inventories and report items that need to be ordered.
  • Develop and implement environmental enrichment activities with approval.
  • Observe animal behavior and wellness and recognize, document, and report
    concerns.
  • Perform routine facility maintenance and participate in special projects.
  • Lead or assist with tours, off-site educational presentations, and guest
    experiences.
  • Share stories about our animals while promoting wildlife conservation and
    responsible coexistence.
  • Recruit, train, and supervise volunteers.
  • Create and distribute promotional emails, newsletters, and social media posts.
  • Complete required record keeping, including daily reports.
  • Follow all safety protocols and procedures.
  • Conduct opening and closing rounds to check life, liquid, locks, and look around
    for all animals on-site.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications
Prior experience in a zoological or wildlife setting and familiarity with operant
conditioning are strong advantages. However, we will also consider candidates with
solid experience working with domestic animals.

Most importantly, you need to understand that animal care is hard work—but incredibly
rewarding.

We are looking for someone who is:

  • College degree preferred, but not required.
  • Able to provide a valid driver's license, insurance, and reliable transportation.
  • Reliable and dependable, with regular attendance being essential.
  • Honest and trustworthy.
  • Thoughtful and careful in their approach to their work—not careless or rushed.
  • Detail-oriented and willing to act on observations.
  • An excellent observer.
  • A critical thinker with good common sense.
  • Able to follow instructions precisely and learn quickly.
  • In tune with animals and their behavior and health.
  • Calm, compassionate, and able to adapt to the needs of different species without
    causing unnecessary stress or harm.
  • Safety-conscious and able to recognize, report, and address safety hazards.
  • Not afraid to get their hands dirty and able to work efficiently.
  • Physically able to lift 30 pounds and assist with heavier items, bend, twist, walk
    up hills, push loaded wheelbarrows, and perform other physically demanding
    tasks.
  • Able to work outdoors year-round in varying weather conditions.
  • Comfortable working independently as well as part of a team.
  • Able to maintain a mature, friendly demeanor and positive attitude.
  • Possess a good sense of humor—we like to joke around!
  • Interested in a long-term position with our organization.
  • Able to provide professional references

How to Apply
Please email your cover letter, resume, and three professional references to:
info@natureofwildworks.org

This position will remain open until filled.
Join Our Team
Join us and become part of the team that keeps The Nature of Wildworks running—from
animal care and habitat maintenance to guest education, volunteer coordination, and all
the behind-the-scenes work that supports our mission.
If you're looking for a desk job, this probably isn't it. If you're looking for meaningful work
where every day is a little different—and where you might go home dirty, tired, and very
happy—you may have found the right place.

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You may also submit full PDF job descriptions for posting to  - jennifer_hart2@vcccd.edu