Jesse Edwards
Pensacola Junior College has provided an associate of science degree program in Zoo Animal Technology since 1996. The course is an interesting amalgamation of animal biology along with hands on work in the field at places such as North West Florida Zoological Park, Botanical Gardens in Gulf Breeze, and other animal facilities.
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Graduation in the program takes only two years along with the Summer in between, after which the graduates are employed locally at zoos and aquariums all over the US. Many continue on to the UWF Zoo Science program to earn their BS.
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When asked what the program consisted of, Zoo Tech director Joyce Kaplan replied through e-mail, “Students provide service in the nature of their coursework to begin with, as the practical courses include rotations where students are assisting staff with task completion at the zoo, wildlife sanctuary, gulfarium, and other facilities. Students are assigned major projects at Chehaw such as exhibit openings, animal training or research projects, etc that are completed on their own and are a major service to the facility. There are also specific assignments in the theory courses such as developing part of a wildlife sanctuary festival, or designing webpages for a conservation group, that combine learning with contributions to the greater community.”
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For those who are in need of recorded community service hours, this is a great way to fill up log books and have a unique experience in the process.
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There are specific requirement in order to join the program. Application packets are posted each year after late January for the following Fall entry. Up to 28 students are admitted, first-come first-served for “qualified” applicants. Students must be qualified to enter ENC1101 and MAC1105, have at least a C+ science average, and have animal-related experience to qualify. Packets are posted on the “applications” section of their website. Last year’s applicant information packet can still be reviewed at: http://itech.pjc.edu/jkaplan/zooschool/
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The required classes of the program consist of 6 general education courses and all the rest are specific to the field. Two full days per week are spent on campus taking animal/zoo-related theory courses including a course on each animal group, anatomy, breeding, behavior, nutrition, record keeping, visitor relations, conservation, administration, and exhibit design in zoos. Two other full days per week are spent at field sites, such as the Northwest Florida Zoo for much of the program, learning practical animal husbandry skills which is a course series over the two years called Animal Care Technology. Towards the end of the program students take a course in exhibit repair and maintenance to learn basic practical skills in building trades, and a veterinary husbandry course. In the final six weeks of the program, students complete their last Animal Care Technology rotation at Chehaw Wild Animal Park in Albany, Georgia.
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“The hands-on work consists of basic sanitation and nutrition for each animal group, observation skills, safety practices, record-keeping, animal handling or capture and restraint, veterinary care, animal enrichment and training, research, public interaction and educational programming, workplace skills. The focus may vary during specialty rotations in the second year, which may be at the zoo in different departments or at other facilities such as the Gulfarium, Wildlife Sanctuary, or a veterinary clinic,” Kaplan said through e-mail.
