Blog Post: Career as a Zoo Director

Two condors, one mountain lion, four giraffes, and a collection of men and women wearing dirty pants are under the direction of Dan Subaitis. As the Director of Animal Management at the Phoenix Zoo, Dan’s responsibility is to make sure the men and women in dirty pants properly care for the animals and plants that visitors come to see.

I’m one of those very lucky people who enjoys what I do for a living,” says Dan as one of the 250 species of birds found at the zoo squawks in the background. “The older you get the more you realize how rare that is.”Dan has been working with animals for over 30 years. He’s been all over the world- Japan and Kenya to name a few- in pursuit of his love to work with animals. The journey began in high school when the local zoo was on the outskirts of his school’s campus. Dan worked at the zoo during his high school years, volunteering and working part-time, which is advice he’s quick to offer today.

“You can always volunteer at a local zoo. We have volunteer opportunities in our horticulture department. We have volunteers that help out at our animal clinic. Pretty much anything animal wise, we try to do it here.”

One misconception of the job is that although Dan’s job suggests he only deals with animals, he doesn’t. “A lot of people say they want to work with animals because they can’t stand people. If you can’t stand people, then don’t come to a zoo. People are what make us function. We’re here for those people. I spend about 25% of my time directly related to animals.”

For any aspiring zoo directors out there who are wondering what skills and education you need, here’s what Dan had to offer:

“Most people who work in zoos these days have some type of life science degree. But I’d say the most transferable skill is how to use a rake and a shovel.”

Pursue the Passion produces weekly career interviews featuring people working their job. Occupations range from CEO’s to goat farmers, rocket scientists to tattoo artists. You can view a complete list of career interviews at www.pursuethepassion.com.