Application
The unit is applicable to senior or more experienced keepers with extensive zoo keeping or related experience. In addition to legal and ethical responsibilities, all units of competency in the ACM10 Animal Care and Management Training Package have the requirement for animals to be handled gently and calmly. The individual is required to exhibit appropriate care for animals so that stress and discomfort is minimised. |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Action collection plans | 1.1. Regional and institutional plan objectives are reviewed and implemented within own area of responsibility. 1.2. In-house husbandry manuals and studbooks are prepared and/or updated as requested or required. 1.3. Communication with relevant internal and external personnel is maintained to ensure appropriate breeding environments. 1.4. Breeding programs are monitored and reviewed in accordance with the collection plan objectives. 1.5. Accurate section records are maintained in accordance with institutional policies and procedures. |
2. Identify and transport animals between facilities | 2.1. Identification techniques are selected and applied correctly to identify animals. 2.2. Animal transactions and security are managed in accordance with the Australasian Species Management Program (ASMP), International Air Transport Association (IATA), regulations and occupational health and safety (OHS) requirements. 2.3. Accurate records of transactions are kept in accordance with institutional policies and procedures. |
3. Contribute to collection planning policies | 3.1. Species management and collection planning policies are analysed. 3.2. Contribution to collection planning policies and procedures is provided as required. 3.3. Endorsed policies are discussed and disseminated to staff in accordance with institutional policies and procedures. |
Required Skills
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Required skills |
access technical advice analyse information and write proposals develop, interpret and review studbooks and husbandry manuals follow institutional policies and procedures interpret studbook data and run basic analysis maintain section records manage demographics within populations operate appropriate species management databases record data using approved animal keeping information systems and/or software literacy skills to read and implement institutional policies and procedures, including OHS and waste management; interpret studbook data; record accurately and legibly information collected; and select and apply procedures to a range of defined tasks communication skills/language to fulfil the job role as specified by the institution, including questioning techniques, active listening, asking for clarification from supervisors and consulting with supervisors numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine workplace measures and interpret studbooks interpersonal skills to work with and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds problem-solving skills to interpret breeding coefficients. |
Required knowledge |
animal husbandry manual requirements animal identification to the sup-species level ASMP and ASMP Regional Census and Plan ASMP guidelines and criteria for studbook keeping breeding control methods collection planning requirements concepts of inbreeding and out breeding database programs for recordkeeping and data analysis genetic principles for the management of captive animal populations importance of breeding coefficients institutional collection planning policies and procedures and other relevant policies and procedures, including OHS and emergency procedures principles and constraints of wildlife conservation principles of animal welfare and ethics principles of taxonomy and relevance to population management relevant international, federal and state or territory legislation and codes of practice report formats for captive animal management plans role of the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks (ARAZP) small population biology species stocking policies working knowledge of international agreements and conventions, including the World Zoo Conservation Strategy and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources conservation status categories. |
Evidence Required
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Overview of assessment | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | The evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can: analyse collection plans and contribute to their review and implementation communicate effectively with staff on breeding programs develop and review husbandry manuals and studbooks manage the transportation of animals between captive animal facilities maintain accurate records. The skills and knowledge required to implement collection management must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events. |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in a captive animal workplace. Workplaces may include small or large captive animal facilities, traditional or open-range type facilities and mobile or theme park environments. There must be access to the appropriate equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence. |
Method of assessment | To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances and where possible, over a number of assessment activities. The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are: written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions third-party evidence workplace documentation portfolio. This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role. |
Guidance information for assessment | Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds). |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
Collection plans are: | developed at regional or institutional level and need to consider: species management plans regional captive management plans interpretive plans available facilities conservation issues education programs visitors' experiences of particular captive animal facilities. |
Husbandry manuals and studbooks may include: | husbandry manuals: how to house individual species details of their biology, behaviour and requirements in captivity reproductive biology distribute appropriate capture and restraint methods studbooks may include identifiers, such as: sex identities of both parents birth and death dates and may also include: full transaction history any information unique to the species, such as any data on the reproductive potential of living animals. |
Internal and external personnel may include: | husbandry coordinators keepers within the section, in other sections and keepers in charge management record keepers species contacts (in-house and regional) studbook keepers Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) contacts and coordinators veterinarians. |
Identification techniques may include: | banding branding ear tagging microchipping banding tattooing. |
OHS risks when working with animals may include: | animal bites, envenomation, kicks, scratches and crush injuries biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal handling of chemicals and medicines inhalation of aerosol particles intraocular contamination manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting needle pricks and cuts from other sharps release of infective agents (animal and human) slippery or uneven work surfaces zoonoses. |
Contributions may include: | feedback from staff on draft policies and procedures individual research into and evaluation of current policies and procedures providing feedback on draft institutional and regional collection plans undertaking professional development roles with the ASMP. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Captive animals |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Not applicable.