Conveying Expert Knowledge

The zoo as an educational facility

Beyond being a research facility in many disciplines, the zoo is also a place of learning.

School groups with children of all ages visit the zoo in order to learn something about the biology of the animals and to gain their own first practical experience in behavioral biology. Professors from various universities count on the zoo animals to make their lectures and seminars more “lively” by holding some of their classes at the zoo. Staff members of the zoo are also directly integrated in university teaching. They convey their knowledge as lecturers, instructors or tutors and provide direct insights into career opportunities in the world of zoos.

Training and professional development by experts

Schönbrunn Zoo has a worldwide reputation for its captive breeding programs and its high animal keeping standards. Beyond our staff‘s dedication and passion, this requires a high level of experience and expert knowledge.

We pass this valuable knowledge not only on to our own animal-keeping trainees, but reach out to the next generation of animal keepers in Austria as a whole by participating in apprentice training programs at various vocational schools.

Importantly, we also support the experts at the Austrian customs authority with our expertise, for example when it comes to confiscating exotic animals at the Vienna airport or in helping train their highly specialized species protection dogs. These dogs learn how to detect living animals or products made out of parts of endangered animal species – even if these are packed in inconspicuous luggage. The zoo contributes here by providing scent-bearing samples such as feathers and snake skins, or enables the dogs to train with scent samples of living animals.