The first three parts of this series discussed types of careers and which ones might be appropriate for you, how to begin researching those career options, and how to find specific information in the area of your interest to help you further clarify your goals and contacts. Part four and five help you explore how to get specific experience in the career area of interest. WORK Wild animals usually refers to native wildlife in the country of origin, whether captive or not. Many times, the term exotic is used to represent both categories. For the purposes of this article, this type of work will refer to wild animals of all types in many different capacities or facilities.
All animals can be dangerous, whether exotic or domestic.
Anything that has teeth and claws always has the potential to harm anyone. This is an important point to remember since wild animals usually are very instinctual and will react more quickly and be less tolerant of mistakes that a person may make. Most quality facilities will not allow you to interact with the animals until you have passed an extensive training period or apprenticeship. They are concerned with the safety and welfare of both their animals, the facility, and anyone else there. If you cannot understand this or do not care enough about the animals to abide by the rules, then this is not the field for you.