Life at the Zoo: Zookeeper Sim

**Welcome to Heartland Zoological Gardens. Your career in animal care starts here.** Sprawling across 420 acres in the heart of Ohio, Heartland Zoological Gardens is home to nearly 2,800 animals representing 480 species. Behind its public exhibits lies a bustling world of dedicated keepers, veterinarians, conservationists, and animal-care specialists working together to protect and care for some of the planet's most remarkable creatures. And now, you're part of the team. You've just been hired as a zookeeper. Choose your department—**Primates, Large Mammals, Carnivores, Birds, Herpetology, Aquatics, or Small Mammals**—and begin building your career from the ground up. Or become a Generalist/Relief Keeper and experience the challenges of working across multiple animal-care teams. Every day brings something different. Prepare specialized diets, design enrichment activities, build trust through positive-reinforcement training, monitor animal behavior, assist veterinary teams, welcome new arrivals, and witness the extraordinary moments that happen when people dedicate their lives to wildlife. Get to know the animals as individuals, from Kito, the watchful silverback gorilla, to Nala, the experienced elephant, and Finn, a sea lion who knows his training routines. Work alongside a diverse cast of colleagues, develop professional relationships, and discover the personalities, challenges, and quiet triumphs that make zoo life unforgettable. But animal care isn't always easy. Animals grow older. Breeding programs face setbacks. Illnesses demand difficult decisions. Workplace disagreements arise. And sometimes, despite everyone's best efforts, there are losses. Other days? It's just another beautiful morning spent cleaning habitats, preparing food, and watching animals do what animals do. **This is your career, and your story.** Heartland is an open-ended, realistic zookeeper life simulator. There are no mandatory quests, scripted disasters, experience points, or predetermined endings. Your choices, qualifications, relationships, and professional growth shape your experience. Follow a specialty, cross-train, pursue conservation work, advance into leadership, or simply find fulfillment in the everyday work of caring for animals. The zoo keeps running whether you're watching or not. **Clock in. The animals are waiting.**