What are the responsibilities and job description for the Zoo Registrar position at Chattanooga Zoo?
The Chattanooga Zoo is looking for a Registrar.
So what does our registrar do? It varies from zoo to zoo but here at the Chattanooga Zoo that person oversees both the husbandry and medical records we keep for each of our animals. Every AZA-accredited zoo (like us) is required to keep good records of what goes on with their animals. We record everything - their weights, behavior, medications, physical exams, and anesthesia reports.
Our registrar is responsible for training keepers on how to enter information and make sure everything is accurate and up to date. They also help with animal transactions when we are planning to bring in new animals or animals we send out to other zoos. Usually state and federal permits are needed for these transfers, in addition to other permits required by the zoo. Transportation arrangements need to be set up, flights booked or drivers scheduled. The Registrar will work with our Curator to help get all these ducks/warthogs/giraffes in a row.
Registrars both depict and represent the significant changes that have occurred in North American zoos over the last few decades, from urban institutions exhibiting exotic animals for entertainment, to a globalized collective enterprise for conservation and education.
