Taronga Western Plains Zoo offers school work experience opportunities for students in Years 10-12 who are interested in pursuing a career in zoo keeping and animal care.

If you or your child are interested in applying, speak to your school careers adviser who will liaise with Taronga on your behalf. 

Work experience undertaken at Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo allows students to: 

• Observe and participate in a variety of work being done in the field of zoo keeping, animal care and education
• Undertake supervised work appropriate to the student’s skill level 
• Ask questions about a zoo workplace 
• Gain skills related to being at work at the zoo 
• Investigate training and employment opportunities with Taronga 

Students will be exposed to a wide range of duties from the very interesting to the very routine, and may include: 

• Cleaning (anything from windows to animal poo!) 
• Preparing and distributing food for the animals 
• Observing and recording animal behavioural information 
• Assisting with keeper talks 
• General administrative duties 

Places in Taronga Western Plains Zoo work experience program are very competitive. 
 

Placements are processed in order of receipt, and only fully completed and signed applications are considered. Please note that this does not guarantee a placement.

Please be aware that the selection panel will only accept one application for either Taronga Zoo Sydney or Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo. Students are advised to apply for their preferred site only. Any duplicate submission will void your application. Priority will be given to NSW residents. 

In the interest of fairness, only one successful application per school will be considered for placement.

Please direct all communication about applying to your school careers adviser, as approval is required from the school before Taronga can proceed.

Risk Assessment: View the venue and safety information for School Work Experience here. 

If Work Experience is fully booked, you may wish to attend Meet a Keeper. This is a one-day program for school students aged 14 years and over who have expressed a keen interest in pursuing a career at the Zoo. Meet Keepers, hear about their career pathways and learn about the variety of pathways to working in a zoo. Find out more about Meet a Keeper.