ZOOLOGIST AND WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST

Job Definition:

• Life science professionals apply knowledge gained from research into human, animal and plant life and their interactions with each other and the environment to develop new knowledge, improve agricultural and forestry production, and solve human health and environmental problems.

Job Description:

• Study the origins, behavior, diseases, genetics, and life processes of animals and wildlife. May specialize in wildlife research and management, including the collection and analysis of biological data to determine the environmental effects of present and potential use of land and water areas.

Duties and Tasks:

• 1) Study animals in their natural habitats, assessing effects of environment and industry on animals, interpreting findings and recommending alternative operating conditions for industry.
• 2) Inventory or estimate plant and wildlife populations.
• 3) Analyze characteristics of animals to identify and classify them.
• 4) Make recommendations on management systems and planning for wildlife populations and habitat, consulting with stakeholders and the public at large to explore options.
• 5) Disseminate information by writing reports and scientific papers or journal articles, and by making presentations and giving talks for schools, clubs, interest groups and park interpretive programs.
• 6) Study characteristics of animals such as origin, interrelationships, classification, life histories and diseases, development, genetics, and distribution.
• 7) Perform administrative duties such as fundraising, public relations, budgeting, and supervision of zoo staff.
• 8) Organize and conduct experimental studies with live animals in controlled or natural surroundings.
• 9) Oversee the care and distribution of zoo animals, working with curators and zoo directors to determine the best way to contain animals, maintain their habitats and manage facilities.
• 10) Coordinate preventive programs to control the outbreak of wildlife diseases.
• 11) Prepare collections of preserved specimens or microscopic slides for species identification and study of development or disease.

Activities:

• 1) Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• 2) Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• 3) Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• 4) Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• 5) Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• 6) Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• 7) Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• 8) Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• 9) Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment — Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• 10) Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• 11) Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• 12) Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• 13) Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• 14) Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• 15) Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• 16) Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• 17) Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• 18) Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• 19) Provide Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• 20) Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• 21) Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• 22) Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• 23) Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• 24) Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• 25) Monitoring and Controlling Resources — Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• 26) Performing Administrative Activities — Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.

Abilities:

• 1) Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• 2) Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• 3) Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• 4) Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• 5) Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• 6) Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 7) Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• 8) Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• 9) Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 10) Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• 11) Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• 12) Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• 13) Far Vision — The ability to see details at a distance.
• 14) Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
• 15) Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

Knowledge:

• 1) Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• 2) English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• 3) Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 4) Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 5) Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.