Wild Woods Farm — an exciting and unique exotic animal petting zoo located just outside Myrtle Beach in Conway, South Carolina — is looking for a dependable, hands-on Animal Specialist to join their small, dedicated animal care team. Home to an extraordinary collection including baboons, macaques, lemurs, a brown bear, capybaras, sloths, camels, zebras, horses, birds of prey, and many more, Wild Woods Farm is a one-of-a-kind place to build your animal care career. No formal zookeeper certification is required — the right person will be fully trained on-site. If animals are your passion and hands-on care is your calling, Wild Woods Farm in Conway, SC is where your next chapter begins.
About Wild Woods Farm — Conway SC’s Exotic Animal Destination
Type: Exotic animal petting zoo — one of the most unique wildlife experiences in South Carolina
Location: Just outside Myrtle Beach in Conway, South Carolina
Collection: Baboons, macaques, lemurs, brown bear, capybaras, sloths, camels, zebras, horses, birds of prey, and more
Team: Small, close-knit animal care team — every person makes a real difference daily
Training: Full on-site training provided — no zookeeper certification required to apply
Why This Animal Specialist Role in Conway SC Is a Dream Career Move in 2026
Unique Experience: Work with one of the most diverse exotic animal collections in the Southeast USA
No Cert Required: Wild Woods Farm trains the right person — your passion and experience matter most
Stable Schedule: Monday to Friday full-time — a consistent and reliable schedule for animal care professionals
Purpose-Driven Work: Every day you directly improve the welfare, enrichment, and safety of remarkable exotic animals
Position Overview
The Animal Specialist at Wild Woods Farm is a full-time, hands-on animal care role at the heart of one of South Carolina’s most extraordinary exotic animal experiences. Every day, you will feed, water, and care for a diverse and fascinating collection of exotic and farm animals, clean and maintain their habitats and barns, provide enrichment activities that support their physical and mental wellbeing, and monitor each animal carefully for any signs of illness, stress, or behavioral change. You will also assist with veterinary care and record keeping, participate in engaging animal encounters with guests, and help keep both animals and visitors safe throughout the day. This is a physically active, outdoor role that rewards people who are calm, reliable, safety-conscious, and genuinely passionate about the animals in their care — regardless of whether they hold a formal zookeeper qualification.
Why This Role Matters: At Wild Woods Farm, the Animal Specialist is the most important person in the building — because the animals’ health, happiness, and safety depend on you every single day. When a sloth is not eating, you notice first. When a lemur shows signs of stress, you respond first. When a capybara’s habitat needs attention, you make it right. You are not just feeding and cleaning — you are building daily relationships with a truly extraordinary collection of animals and helping thousands of visitors connect with wildlife in a meaningful, educational, and memorable way. For anyone who feels most alive when surrounded by animals, this Conway, SC role is not just a job. It is a vocation.
Key Responsibilities
Daily Animal Feeding & Care
- Feed, water, and provide daily hands-on care for a diverse collection of exotic and farm animals every day
- Ensure all animals receive the correct diet, portion sizes, and feeding schedules according to species-specific requirements
- Monitor each animal during feeding and care routines for any changes in appetite, behavior, or physical condition
- Maintain accurate daily feeding and care logs as part of the facility’s animal management record-keeping system
Habitat Cleaning & Maintenance
- Clean and maintain animal habitats, barns, enclosures, and the petting zoo area to the highest hygiene and safety standards
- Ensure all enclosures are secure, well-maintained, and appropriately enriched for the species living in them
- Perform routine facility maintenance tasks including mucking out, waste removal, and sanitizing animal contact areas
- Report any structural or safety issues with enclosures, equipment, or facilities to management promptly
Animal Enrichment & Health Monitoring
- Design and provide daily enrichment activities tailored to each species’ natural behaviors and cognitive needs
- Monitor every animal closely and consistently for signs of illness, injury, stress, or abnormal behavior throughout each shift
- Report any health concerns, behavioral changes, or injuries to the management team and assist with veterinary care as needed
- Maintain accurate health observation records and assist with medical records and documentation for all animals in the collection
Guest Education & Animal Encounters
- Assist with and help facilitate engaging, safe, and educational animal encounters with guests visiting Wild Woods Farm
- Share knowledge about the animals, their species, behaviors, and conservation status with visitors of all ages in an approachable way
- Ensure the safety of both animals and guests during all encounters, guided experiences, and petting zoo interactions
- Represent Wild Woods Farm professionally and passionately — creating memorable experiences that guests talk about long after they leave
Qualifications & Requirements
Experience
- Animal care experience from any relevant background — farm, barn, veterinary clinic, wildlife rehabilitation, kennel, aquarium, or similar
- Comfort and confidence working outdoors in all weather conditions throughout all four South Carolina seasons
- Physical ability to lift 50 lbs regularly and perform sustained physical work throughout a full-day shift
- Reliable, detail-oriented, calm under pressure, and committed to a safety-first approach to animal and guest management
Preferred Qualifications
- A degree or coursework in animal science, zoology, biology, or a related field is a plus but absolutely not required
- Prior experience working with exotic species, primates, large mammals, or birds of prey is a meaningful advantage
- Experience in guest-facing or public education roles within an animal care or wildlife setting is beneficial
About Wild Woods Farm — South Carolina’s Exotic Animal Experience
Wild Woods Farm is a one-of-a-kind exotic animal petting zoo located just outside Myrtle Beach in Conway, South Carolina. The farm is home to a remarkable and ever-growing collection of exotic and domestic animals — from baboons, macaques, and lemurs to sloths, camels, capybaras, zebras, horses, a brown bear, and majestic birds of prey. Wild Woods Farm offers visitors an up-close, hands-on wildlife experience that educates, inspires, and creates lasting memories. The small, dedicated animal care team at Wild Woods Farm is passionate, knowledgeable, and committed to providing the highest standards of animal welfare, enrichment, and guest experience every single day.
Pay & Schedule: Compensation is based on experience and the training needed to get up to speed at the facility. Schedule is full-time, Monday through Friday. Apply through LinkedIn to begin your Wild Woods Farm journey.
Who Should Apply?
- Animal Care Enthusiasts: With hands-on experience from farms, barns, veterinary clinics, kennels, wildlife rehab, or aquariums
- Zookeeper Aspirants: Who want to build real exotic animal care experience without needing a formal certification to start
- Wildlife Rehabilitators: With species monitoring, health observation, and enrichment skills ready for a permanent zoo-style role in SC
- Animal Science Students or Graduates: Looking for a hands-on, full-time role with a genuinely unique exotic animal collection near Myrtle Beach
- Outdoor, Physical Workers: Who thrive in active, weather-exposed environments and are calm, dependable, and passionate about animal welfare
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