This manager of a park in Lot-et-Garonne discusses the harsh reality of the profession of animal caretaker

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” Some television shows were able to sell dreamsthe reality is quite different” warns Jean-Christophe Ducceshi, manager and creator of the Griffon park in Caubon-Saint-Sauveur (Lot-et-Garonne).

Invited by the Local mission of Moyenne Garonne (MLMG) and the Regional Proximity Information Space (ERIP) in Marmande on Monday November 4, 2024, he presented without fluff the little-known profession of animal caretaker.

“Animal caregiver is not just about loving animals”

That day against Jean-Christophe Ducceshi, around twenty came, most of them “ out of curiosity » or for the love of animals, but the room is full, a symbol of interest in this profession.

Young people accompanied by their parents, students, job seekersbut also employees undergoing retraining. “Each person can have a project and our role is to see how we can inform” explains Delphine Communie, ERIP coordinator. “The interest for us is to bring in professionals who can talk about the reality of their profession. »

And the reality of animal care is often unknown, as the manager of the Griffon park explains: “I receive a CV a week from people who tell me that they love animals. But in this profession, contact with animals is still restricted . The majority of missions are preparing food, pruning trees, mowing, cleaning, scrubbing…”

I see a lot of people arriving with dreams in their eyes and who can fall from a height.

Few offers for a job with multiple constraints

Far from wanting to discourage his audience to whom he hopes to achieve this, Jean-Christophe Ducceshi wishes above all to talk about constraints of this professionwhich according to him is not the best way to realize his dream of working with animals. “It’s very rare to find a position where you will only be hired for that, even if you have a diploma in animal care. It is a profession where there is little stabilitywhere you are required to visit several parks per year. And what must also be taken into account is that it depends on the seasonalityusually in summer. Finally, an animal caregiver has at least one veterinarian above him, he is not a decision-maker and only applies things. »

On the side of formationsit is also very complicated. “Today there are a multitude of training offers. It’s pretty on paper but there’s everything and anything and in general it’s very expensive,” notes Delphine Communie.

Other paths exist, “but we talk about them less” such as for examplethe profession of biologist. “You have to go back to school a little, but it’s a sought-after job in the parks. A biologist is someone who specializes in an animal species and who will study it from A to Z.”

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