Rockhampton Zoo offers Junior Zookeeper program through school holidays

The Rockhampton Zoo is offering their new Junior Zookeeper Experience along with animal encounters and daily educational talks during these school holidays.

Parks, Sport and Public Spaces Councillor Cherie Rutherford notes “our brand-new Junior Zookeeper Experience is exclusive to school holidays and gives children between the ages of 8-15 the opportunity to go behind the scenes and create enrichment items, feed selected animals, and help clean out animal enclosures.

“We want to show children what a day in the life of a Zookeeper really looks like away from the cute and cuddly photos they might associate zookeeping with.

“Our goal for this program is to inspire our next generation of zookeepers, zoologists, ecologists or conservationists who wish to make a difference in our natural world. To reconnect children with their innate love of animals and nature.”

Rutherford said there was something for the whole family to enjoy at Rockhampton Zoo including the ever-popular meerkat and otter encounters and daily education talks.

“Otter encounters involve getting up close and personal with our favourites; Tomio and Misumi. You can feed them afternoon tea through the mesh and spend some time learning about them with a private zookeeper.”

Tickets for animal encounters and experiences can be purchased online at www.rockhamptonzoo.com.au. 15% of all Animal Encounters and Junior Zookeeper Experiences are donated to support animal conservation programs.

Rockhampton Zoo is open to the public 9am to 4.15pm every day excluding Christmas Day, and only operates from 1.30pm to 4.15pm on Anzac Day.