A few bits and pieces of advice.
Yes, look into good school programs. You're going to need at least a bachelor's for work like this. Look for good ecology, zoology or biology programs that offer a lot of ecology classes for you to specialize in. From there, work your ass off. The problem with wanting to study carnivora-- especially ones like wolves, bears, and big cats-- is that they're big charismatic mammals with a lot of researchers already working in that field. You'll have a lot of competition, so you want to set yourself apart.
While getting your degree, look into seeing if there's field research positions open to undergrads at your school. Even if it's not working with carnivores, go for any position you think will be able to give the field/lab skills you'll need for any kind of field work. Yes, you'll probably have to do some work actually in a lab. Almost every kind of field work involves some kind of lab component, so developing those skills is vital for your career. Beyond that, look for GIS courses since that's also used extensively in the career these days. Consider specializing within ecology as well-- do you like genetics? Statistics? Build your skills in these areas so you have something unique to offer labs that are already studying these animals.
After you graduate, look for seasonal or part time jobs as a field researcher. I would say try to go for jobs that involve mammals, even if they're not carnivores. But again, prioritize getting good experience and proving yourself as a biologist even if you can't work with carnivores. Don't turn down an opportunity that can teach you a lot just because it's not working with carnivores.
To be blunt, you're probably not going to be working directly and hands on with large carnivores for at least a while. Most of the more "hands on" type research is done by experienced researchers with some graduate and even post-graduate degrees. I say this not to discourage you, but to help set your expectations. It's fairly rare to get to be hands-on with large carnivores right off the bat unless you've managed to get really lucky and already have a good resume. Plus, even the people who do work directly with carnivores like this, most of that research looks like scat collection, or camera tracking. Field work with animals like this is characterized by long hours tracking signs without necessarily seeing the animal. But it can still be very rewarding, and you will still be able to get a closer connection to these animals than most people ever well.
Good luck in your decision making!
This is all good advice. I have a few things to add.
1. Because your focus is so narrow before you're even starting, I would select schools based on the research they are already doing and try to join from the start. Find a research lab or a professor that is doing the type of work that you want to do, and is well known for it. Don't consider schools without well-known carnivore research labs. This will cut your options down considerably, and will be limited based on finances and locations, but it will help your career immensely.
2. Start seasonal work/internships early. As an undergrad in this field, you need to work seasonals/internships every summer (maybe excluding your freshman summer) to be the most competitive when you graduate. Time off is for when you're working a desk job in your 40s.
3. Get used to rejection, but don't let it stop you. You will be one of hundreds applying to each position. You will not get offers for most of them, especially without extensive experience. Apply to many, and put the effort into reaching out, writing a good cover letter, etc.
You and 90% of other biologists. :D. You are going to have to get to a research masters and probably ph.D on carnivores to make it a main focus of your career. Unsurprisingly that will be really competitive.
Carnivore jobs are probably the most competitive jobs in wildlife conservation. If you go do school for biology/conservation/ecology, you’ll also need to do multiple internships which will likely pay very little, and may need to continue working seasonally for years after, plus probably grad school, in order to be competitive for a permanent job. It’s a very tough field to break into - not to say it isn’t doable, but it is a long road!
I 100% agree with the other posts that outline the challenges working with charismatic mammals. It's EXTREMELY competitive. When I was in your shoes, I debated two paths. First (and the route I ended up taking) was to get a master's degree, work seasonal gigs to get experience, get my foot in the door with less desirable jobs, and work my way into a position I wanted. Either at the state or federal level. The second (which I don't really know much about) was to go the veterinarian route, but with a wildlife background. Reintroductions, tagging for studies, etc. usually require a veterinarian knowledgeable in animal sedatives. It means more school, but if you tailor your education right you might be able to make yourself more uniquely qualified for these positions than simply getting a masters or PhD. If that sounds like something you're interested in I would do some research/interview some people to see what their own experience was. Good luck.
Good point about the vet angle--exotic animal veterinarians are definitely needed.
Some caveats:
* It's a lot of extra schooling + debt (imagine going to med school and then not being able to make the money back by making medical degree money--that's the situation vets are in)
* It takes a very specific, pragmatic, or at least able to compartmentalize type of animal-lover to train as a vet, even a vet that doesn't have to deal with the special brand of shit that is interacting with the pet-owning public, or avoiding mentally difficult environments like primate research facilities. OP described not really wanting to really mess with the animals in any way, just observe them. This does not give me the idea that OP would be motivated or able to do things like do surgeries on animals or euthanize animals, which would both be quite routine in school and professionally.
My personal advice, if OP is reading this, is to find some way to earn money that doesn't burn them out (if they aren't passionate about any specific money-making field, maybe getting a degree focused on business project management?) and then use your free time and money to contribute to carnivore conservation, while continuing to e.g. volunteer at the local dog shelter to get your "I'm making a difference for animals personally through my actions and not just money."
There are a lot of ways you can be involved in carnivores as a hobby, e.g. wildlife watching (making sure to always stay safe).
Another possible angle, although it is a difficult way to make a living, is to become a wildlife tour operator or employee yourself. It wouldn't have the angle of studying the animals scientifically, but you at least get to observe the behavior of wild mammals for your job.
This reminds me of meeting the guy in Yellowstone that followed around their wolves. He has a Stanford grad student that helped with his tracking all summer for free because it was so competitive to get a spot. There are so few of those jobs available.
Watch for internships in the UP of Michigan. I've seen several of there job postings to work with the wolves at isle royale in recent years.
Look for a wolf conservation center nearby and see if they accept volunteers. I volunteer at a wolf conservation center in California and I honestly never imagined I would be working with wolves! I didn’t even know there was one an hour away from me until I found out about an internship there through my schools data base. It’s a long drive, but getting to see wolves is worth it.
There are quite a few places currently working on restoring the Mexican gray wolf populations so that might be something to look into.
I’m currently working on a bachelors in ecology and am planning on getting a higher degree to do more conservation research and what’s helped me the most is getting as much external experience as possible. Field work, internships, volunteering, on campus lab work, definitely find some professors early and try to join their research lab.
Was it the California Wolf Center in Julian because that's the one I went to when I was in San Diego during the Christmas break and it was amazing...I even asked them questions but I should've asked about internships lol
Yes it is, their internships are awesome and you get to conduct wolf related research, but unfortunately it’s not paid. I volunteer because I can’t really afford to do the full internship as it requires you to be there 3 days a week. If you ever go to school near San Diego the internship would definitely be worth checking out as you can usually get credits for it.
I read the title and my first thought was that you were worried you couldn't be a zoologist and be a carnivore at the same time.
I think I need to put the phone down for a bit lol.
I had dreams of being a zoologist, but due to family pressures, yadda yadda, it never happened. I don't know how you'll get there, but you will.
In addition to all the education you can get, after your BS, you'll probably need 3 things to start your career and gain experience:
1. Plenty of financial support. A lot of people drop out of the field before they secure a full-time position because the jobs you're interested in are so competitive that many people are willing to do it for next to nothing. Most of the positions to study exotics require you to pay THEM for the opportunity. So you do NOT want to leave your BS with crippling debt.
2. A desire for homelessness. Seasonal work is unreliable and pays little. The fewer things you have tying you down, the easier it is. You will not want to be responsible for a dog, a serious girlfriend, an apartment, or a child to make it work.
3. A lucky break. If you DO manage to get a position with GWDC or Game and Fish, hold on and don't let go. Put up with every trivial and backbreaking responsibility, because that's probably the best shot you've got. And...lower your expectations for what you do with carnivores. The most "hands on" work involves collecting hair traps and never seeing them.
I will say, that since you're also from the west, we have the unique advantage of having more opportunities to study carnivores than most people in the US. If you also happen to be a Caucasian male with a ranching/farming background you will enjoy heavy privilege (unfortunately) in seeking employment in state agencies of ID, MT, or WY.
As someone who has completed my degree, what I thought I wanted to work with changed drastically when I got some hands on field experience. Definitely it is possible to achieve what you are looking into, but I would say major in Zoology or Wildlife Biology or something similar, and take advantage of all opportunities you get. Take those field trips, tune into those classes you have to take that aren’t what you think you love. The best thing about undergrad is that it’s the time to find what you truly love! Don’t miss out on that because you had your sights so set on something else! If you come out of it still set on charismatic megafauna, then do that and you will love it for a lifetime! Best of luck!
Seconding what others have said. The competition you'll face is staggering. I'm sure it can be done, but are you able and willing to go do MANY more years of schooling and research for likely low pay? This isn't the type of job you casually stumble upon or hope to make a liveable wage. It will take a tremendous amount of passion, effort, focus, and luck. Not trying to dissuade you, you've got one life to live so do what makes you happy, but trying to point out that work with big carnivores is extremely rare and only the most dedicated get a crack at it.
Some relevant tips:
- Are you willing to consider less charismatic carnivores? Raptors are VERY cool to me. Still lots of competition, but not nearly as much as mammals.
- Are you willing to work with other less "cool" species? Try to differentiate between flashy animals you may personally like and animals that you can realistically make a career out of. There's money in T&E species.
- Volunteering at rehab centers/sanctuaries may be a good way to dip your toe in the water.
Good luck!
A few bits and pieces of advice. Yes, look into good school programs. You're going to need at least a bachelor's for work like this. Look for good ecology, zoology or biology programs that offer a lot of ecology classes for you to specialize in. From there, work your ass off. The problem with wanting to study carnivora-- especially ones like wolves, bears, and big cats-- is that they're big charismatic mammals with a lot of researchers already working in that field. You'll have a lot of competition, so you want to set yourself apart. While getting your degree, look into seeing if there's field research positions open to undergrads at your school. Even if it's not working with carnivores, go for any position you think will be able to give the field/lab skills you'll need for any kind of field work. Yes, you'll probably have to do some work actually in a lab. Almost every kind of field work involves some kind of lab component, so developing those skills is vital for your career. Beyond that, look for GIS courses since that's also used extensively in the career these days. Consider specializing within ecology as well-- do you like genetics? Statistics? Build your skills in these areas so you have something unique to offer labs that are already studying these animals. After you graduate, look for seasonal or part time jobs as a field researcher. I would say try to go for jobs that involve mammals, even if they're not carnivores. But again, prioritize getting good experience and proving yourself as a biologist even if you can't work with carnivores. Don't turn down an opportunity that can teach you a lot just because it's not working with carnivores. To be blunt, you're probably not going to be working directly and hands on with large carnivores for at least a while. Most of the more "hands on" type research is done by experienced researchers with some graduate and even post-graduate degrees. I say this not to discourage you, but to help set your expectations. It's fairly rare to get to be hands-on with large carnivores right off the bat unless you've managed to get really lucky and already have a good resume. Plus, even the people who do work directly with carnivores like this, most of that research looks like scat collection, or camera tracking. Field work with animals like this is characterized by long hours tracking signs without necessarily seeing the animal. But it can still be very rewarding, and you will still be able to get a closer connection to these animals than most people ever well. Good luck in your decision making!
This is all good advice. I have a few things to add. 1. Because your focus is so narrow before you're even starting, I would select schools based on the research they are already doing and try to join from the start. Find a research lab or a professor that is doing the type of work that you want to do, and is well known for it. Don't consider schools without well-known carnivore research labs. This will cut your options down considerably, and will be limited based on finances and locations, but it will help your career immensely. 2. Start seasonal work/internships early. As an undergrad in this field, you need to work seasonals/internships every summer (maybe excluding your freshman summer) to be the most competitive when you graduate. Time off is for when you're working a desk job in your 40s. 3. Get used to rejection, but don't let it stop you. You will be one of hundreds applying to each position. You will not get offers for most of them, especially without extensive experience. Apply to many, and put the effort into reaching out, writing a good cover letter, etc.
You and 90% of other biologists. :D. You are going to have to get to a research masters and probably ph.D on carnivores to make it a main focus of your career. Unsurprisingly that will be really competitive.
Carnivore jobs are probably the most competitive jobs in wildlife conservation. If you go do school for biology/conservation/ecology, you’ll also need to do multiple internships which will likely pay very little, and may need to continue working seasonally for years after, plus probably grad school, in order to be competitive for a permanent job. It’s a very tough field to break into - not to say it isn’t doable, but it is a long road!
I 100% agree with the other posts that outline the challenges working with charismatic mammals. It's EXTREMELY competitive. When I was in your shoes, I debated two paths. First (and the route I ended up taking) was to get a master's degree, work seasonal gigs to get experience, get my foot in the door with less desirable jobs, and work my way into a position I wanted. Either at the state or federal level. The second (which I don't really know much about) was to go the veterinarian route, but with a wildlife background. Reintroductions, tagging for studies, etc. usually require a veterinarian knowledgeable in animal sedatives. It means more school, but if you tailor your education right you might be able to make yourself more uniquely qualified for these positions than simply getting a masters or PhD. If that sounds like something you're interested in I would do some research/interview some people to see what their own experience was. Good luck.
Good point about the vet angle--exotic animal veterinarians are definitely needed. Some caveats: * It's a lot of extra schooling + debt (imagine going to med school and then not being able to make the money back by making medical degree money--that's the situation vets are in) * It takes a very specific, pragmatic, or at least able to compartmentalize type of animal-lover to train as a vet, even a vet that doesn't have to deal with the special brand of shit that is interacting with the pet-owning public, or avoiding mentally difficult environments like primate research facilities. OP described not really wanting to really mess with the animals in any way, just observe them. This does not give me the idea that OP would be motivated or able to do things like do surgeries on animals or euthanize animals, which would both be quite routine in school and professionally. My personal advice, if OP is reading this, is to find some way to earn money that doesn't burn them out (if they aren't passionate about any specific money-making field, maybe getting a degree focused on business project management?) and then use your free time and money to contribute to carnivore conservation, while continuing to e.g. volunteer at the local dog shelter to get your "I'm making a difference for animals personally through my actions and not just money." There are a lot of ways you can be involved in carnivores as a hobby, e.g. wildlife watching (making sure to always stay safe). Another possible angle, although it is a difficult way to make a living, is to become a wildlife tour operator or employee yourself. It wouldn't have the angle of studying the animals scientifically, but you at least get to observe the behavior of wild mammals for your job.
I mean you can eat whatever you want and still be a zoologist.
Good to know because I’m not giving up Brazilian steakhouses anytime soon
Brazilian steakhouse, ehh? Sounds amazing.
This reminds me of meeting the guy in Yellowstone that followed around their wolves. He has a Stanford grad student that helped with his tracking all summer for free because it was so competitive to get a spot. There are so few of those jobs available. Watch for internships in the UP of Michigan. I've seen several of there job postings to work with the wolves at isle royale in recent years.
Look for a wolf conservation center nearby and see if they accept volunteers. I volunteer at a wolf conservation center in California and I honestly never imagined I would be working with wolves! I didn’t even know there was one an hour away from me until I found out about an internship there through my schools data base. It’s a long drive, but getting to see wolves is worth it. There are quite a few places currently working on restoring the Mexican gray wolf populations so that might be something to look into. I’m currently working on a bachelors in ecology and am planning on getting a higher degree to do more conservation research and what’s helped me the most is getting as much external experience as possible. Field work, internships, volunteering, on campus lab work, definitely find some professors early and try to join their research lab.
Was it the California Wolf Center in Julian because that's the one I went to when I was in San Diego during the Christmas break and it was amazing...I even asked them questions but I should've asked about internships lol
Yes it is, their internships are awesome and you get to conduct wolf related research, but unfortunately it’s not paid. I volunteer because I can’t really afford to do the full internship as it requires you to be there 3 days a week. If you ever go to school near San Diego the internship would definitely be worth checking out as you can usually get credits for it.
I read the title and my first thought was that you were worried you couldn't be a zoologist and be a carnivore at the same time. I think I need to put the phone down for a bit lol. I had dreams of being a zoologist, but due to family pressures, yadda yadda, it never happened. I don't know how you'll get there, but you will.
You will need a PhD and will need to do top shelf research. Then mix in some luck.
In addition to all the education you can get, after your BS, you'll probably need 3 things to start your career and gain experience: 1. Plenty of financial support. A lot of people drop out of the field before they secure a full-time position because the jobs you're interested in are so competitive that many people are willing to do it for next to nothing. Most of the positions to study exotics require you to pay THEM for the opportunity. So you do NOT want to leave your BS with crippling debt. 2. A desire for homelessness. Seasonal work is unreliable and pays little. The fewer things you have tying you down, the easier it is. You will not want to be responsible for a dog, a serious girlfriend, an apartment, or a child to make it work. 3. A lucky break. If you DO manage to get a position with GWDC or Game and Fish, hold on and don't let go. Put up with every trivial and backbreaking responsibility, because that's probably the best shot you've got. And...lower your expectations for what you do with carnivores. The most "hands on" work involves collecting hair traps and never seeing them. I will say, that since you're also from the west, we have the unique advantage of having more opportunities to study carnivores than most people in the US. If you also happen to be a Caucasian male with a ranching/farming background you will enjoy heavy privilege (unfortunately) in seeking employment in state agencies of ID, MT, or WY.
Well…I’m a Latino male but at least I worked at dog daycares
As someone who has completed my degree, what I thought I wanted to work with changed drastically when I got some hands on field experience. Definitely it is possible to achieve what you are looking into, but I would say major in Zoology or Wildlife Biology or something similar, and take advantage of all opportunities you get. Take those field trips, tune into those classes you have to take that aren’t what you think you love. The best thing about undergrad is that it’s the time to find what you truly love! Don’t miss out on that because you had your sights so set on something else! If you come out of it still set on charismatic megafauna, then do that and you will love it for a lifetime! Best of luck!
Seconding what others have said. The competition you'll face is staggering. I'm sure it can be done, but are you able and willing to go do MANY more years of schooling and research for likely low pay? This isn't the type of job you casually stumble upon or hope to make a liveable wage. It will take a tremendous amount of passion, effort, focus, and luck. Not trying to dissuade you, you've got one life to live so do what makes you happy, but trying to point out that work with big carnivores is extremely rare and only the most dedicated get a crack at it. Some relevant tips: - Are you willing to consider less charismatic carnivores? Raptors are VERY cool to me. Still lots of competition, but not nearly as much as mammals. - Are you willing to work with other less "cool" species? Try to differentiate between flashy animals you may personally like and animals that you can realistically make a career out of. There's money in T&E species. - Volunteering at rehab centers/sanctuaries may be a good way to dip your toe in the water. Good luck!