21 November 2025
A zookeeper is just one of thirteen roles for kids to try out in ZooTown!
We've just opened a brand new role play area, ZooTown, where kids can let their imaginations run wild as they test out all of the jobs around the Zoo. To celebrate our newest play space, bird keeper Shannon tells us what it’s really like being a zookeeper…
How long have you been a zookeeper?
I’ve been a zookeeper now for 11 years. My career began back in New Zealand, but I’ve now been working at London Zoo for the past 4 and a half years.
I actually started my career working with primates, and I’ve also been lucky enough to work with large carnivores like spotted hyena and cheetah. I’ve loved working with all the species over the years, but birds (parrots in particular) definitely have my heart.
What’s your favourite thing about being a zookeeper?
My favourite thing about being a zookeeper is learning to speak ‘animal’. They can’t speak English (or any other human language), but they do speak body language, and it’s my job to understand them.
For example, when a pair of penguins start preening each other’s feathers, tap their beaks together and make loud, braying calls, it usually means that pair have bonded and will try to have chicks together.
What’s the worst thing about being a zookeeper?
Working with animals means being out in all weathers – rain, sun, and everything in between – so you have to be willing to get a bit mucky.
About a quarter of my day is also spent dealing with poo in some way or another, but I consider myself lucky. The zookeepers who work with bigger animals have to deal with much more poo!
What’s your most memorable moment as a zookeeper?
Some of my most memorable moments involve getting to work with and help support critically endangered species. In particular, I was lucky enough to be able to assist with looking after sick Kakapo back in New Zealand. There’s only around 230 left, so it was very special to be able to see one – let alone help take care of them while they recovered (a Kakapo was actually the first parrot I ever held!)
Here at London Zoo, my team also looks after our Ruppell’s griffon vultures, another critically endangered species. Over the past three years, I’ve also been able to assist with helping rear three vulture chicks (Eggbert, Rupert, and Norbert) - all playing a crucial part in helping the species future population.
Critically endangered vulture, Eggbert
Do you have any favourite animals?
My team care for some of the cleverest animals at the Zoo – our parrots! Not many people realise it, but parrots are about as intelligent as most primate species (apart from the great apes like gorillas).
Indi and Ana are my favourites – they’re a brother and sister pair of green-winged macaws and, just like any brother and sister, they love each other but don’t always like sharing their food with each other.
I’m also very lucky to work with our blue-throated macaws, there’s less than 400 left in the wild. We actually have seven here at London Zoo! Popeye and Ollie (our breeding pair), Lily and Margot (their three-year-olds), and our newest additions; three female chicks who just recently fledged – named Sophia, Joan, and Evelyn. You can see them with their parents - Ollie and Popeye – in our macaw aviary.
Are there any top tips on how to become a zookeeper?
If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a zookeeper, try to spend as much time with animals as you can. Watch garden birds and insects to see what they do, see if there’s a local farm where you can help out with the animals, or spend time with a pet cat or dog at home.
As zookeepers, it’s our job to share our love of animals with visitors, so you can also practice talking to people about what you’ve seen and why you love animals.
In ZooTown, you can take on some of our everyday activities. See if you can collect zebra poo in our wheelbarrows to be used as fertiliser, and prepare the correct dinners for our animals in our keeper kitchen.
And remember, if you’re an animal lover, there are so many different roles here at London Zoo. ZooTown represents all of the goings-on at the Zoo, from vets and scientists, to posties and presenters, and everything in between. And you can have a chance to test some of them out to find out your favourite.
There are so many different roles to try within ZooTown
What did you think of ZooTown when you first saw it?
I was blown away by ZooTown! My favourite parts were definitely the vet hospital – everything was so accurate, the microchips were even in the exact right place on the animal plushies, so you scan them exactly like a real zookeeper. I also loved the keeper kitchen and the parrot café. The detail for each area was just amazing, I couldn’t believe how big the whole area was, there was just so much to do!
All ZooTown tickets will be bookable online in advance, up to three days ahead of your visit.
Zoo admission is not included in your ZooTown booking and you must have a valid Zoo ticket or membership to enter the Zoo.
This blog has been repurposed from an article written for Wild About, ZSL's magazine for Gold Members.