Taronga Zoo Sydney offers school work experience opportunities for students in years 10 – 12 who are interested in pursuing a career in zoo keeping, animal care, tourism or zoo horticulture.  

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 Zoo Sydney allows students to: 

• Observe a variety of work being done in the fields of zoo keeping, animal care, zoo horticulture or guest services 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’s work experience program are very competitive. 

Applications

Applications for 2024 will open on the first day of Term 4, 2023. 

Placements are processed in order of receipt, and only fully completed and signed applications are considered. Applications will close as soon as all places have been filled.

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 interests of fairness, only one successful applicant per school will be considered for placement for one week (Monday to Friday), excluding school and public holidays. If a school has a student who was cancelled in 2021 due to COVID-19, and has been rolled over for 2022, this does not count as the sole applicant for the school. Another student may submit an application. 

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

Meet a Keeper

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.