Animal Caretaker for Collection of Exotic Birds and Animals

Arlington VA

Description

Hello: I hope the little guy in the first pic grabbed your attention--this young, tame (fully permitted) owl, with the name of Theodore, is one of the many marvelous animals you could work with. The second pic is of our sulfur-breasted toucan, Bronco, also hand-raised and tame, and third of our hand-raised tame green aracari--think of a toucan that would fit inside a beer mug. Next is representative of the smaller birds that we keep, next the two little dinosaurs are our chicks from one of our hornbill pairs a little while back, and finally one of a baby falcon (fully permitted) raised right here last summer. We are in need of new part-time caretaker for our private collection of exotic birds, animals, and plants as our long-time and great keeper moves permanently to Peru, no less (good luck Ayleen!). This job will be for about four hours a day (depending on how we arrange your duties), somewhere between six and seven days a week, TBD. If you live more than a fifteen minute drive away, or are in a situation where bad weather keeps you in the house, this is not a good fit, as of course the animals need care regardless. Training (which is paid, btw), will start ASAP. Couples or BFF's are ideal, as then they can do it as a team in half the time, or they can cover for each other. (Over the years we have found this is ideal.) Obviously, it would be best if you were around for most holidays, but at the same time, if you want a block of time off, that is perfectly OK as long we get a decent amount of notice. You will be taking care of a mixed collection of animals of twenty-five years standing, owned by a formally trained zoologist (me) and my wife (an attorney). The centerpiece is a group of exotic birds normally found in larger zoos. There are no parrots--we are speaking of birds like toucans, turacos, hornbills, birds of prey (fully permitted), honeycreepers, jays, orioles, sunbirds, tropical starlings, kingfishers, laughing kookaburras, fairy bluebirds, tanagers, finches and other tropical songbirds in a series of indoor and outdoor enclosures There are some reptiles (mostly tortoises--including a giant tortoise), a few small snakes (who you won't have to interact with at all--or even see--if that is an issue), a pair of three-banded armadillos (these aren't the ones from the American Southwest--these are tiny little guys from South America), a couple of other interesting mammals you are quite sure to like, a dog, and some insects. As discussed, the time commitment is flexible. You can come by basically any time in the morning or afternoon, although as a rule, that time of day should normally be about the same day after day, to keep things on a 24 hour cycle What we OFFER: 1.) Flexibility in terms of what times you actually work, and performing your duties independently 2.) Invaluable experience in terms of getting your foot in the door caring for exotics, if that is an aspiration. 3.) Getting to interact daily with really cool animals. 4.) Cash money that goes straight in to your pocket, every week, no deductions This can be a great side-hustle for someone with another job, the right schedule, and the kind of energy I used to have when I was younger. What you DON'T need: Experience. It is far more important for us to have someone with a good attitude and a willingness to learn. What you DO need: 1.) First and foremost, RELIABILITY. I can't emphasize that one enough. Even if you are tired or feeling a little unwell, the animals need their care. 2.) To be very local, and have access to a car if you are beyond walking distance. We are in between Glebe Road and Military Road, north of Lee Highway, relatively near the Marymount Campus, which unfortunately is very inconvenient by public transit. So the hope is you will be less than fifteen minutes drive away, preferably much less, or can bike/walk here easily. 3.) To be able to lift up to 50 pounds when called for. (Think a large bag of dog chow.) 4.) An enthusiasm for working with exotic animals. 5.) A long-term commitment. It is very expensive and time-consuming to train someone new, so we wouldn't want a person just bridging between jobs or here for a limited period of time--including those just here for the school year. So, you won't earn a fortune, but you will be paid straight cash for work that, to a large extent, you will enjoy, and at least it will be out of the ordinary. If you are interested, this is what we need: 1. ) A couple of sentences or so saying why you might like to do this, a tiny little thumbnail sketch of who you are, and (if applicable), what on-point experience you have (again, not required). Historically, this is basically what we depend on for deciding who to make contact with, as historically many more people respond than we can reasonably reach out to. 3.) A resume--if you have it (certainly not required). 4.) When you could start. 4.) A phone number. If it looks like it is a good mutual fit, we will have a short conversation on the phone, then you will shadow our present keeper for a day--basically to give you a realistic idea of what is actually involved day-to-day, and then hopefully we can bring you straight on board! You will then work in a paid status side-by-side with our present keeper until you are confident enough to fly solo. We hope to hear from you!