Zookeeper for a Day Experience and VIP Animal Encounters

Subjects: Biology, Zoology, Animal Welfare, Veterinary Science, Ecology, Conservation, and Ethics

Location: Webster, FL

Date: December 28, 2026

Course Description: 

Step into the world of wildlife care with a unique educational and immersive VIP program created specifically for North Winds Institute at Chase Sanctuary!

This exclusive experience created for North Winds Institute combines a four-hour Zookeeper for a Day program with additional VIP animal encounters, offering a more in-depth experience than the standard Keeper for a Day program. Students will explore the daily responsibilities of animal care professionals while learning about animal diets, natural behaviors, enrichment, habitats, and responsible sanctuary care.

Through guided small-group learning and keeper-led activities, participants will discover how animal care teams meet the needs of a wide variety of species. The experience connects deep education with with real-world animal care, encouraging curiosity, observation, and an appreciation for wildlife.

Your participation makes a difference and this program helps support the care of the animals and conservation at Chase Sanctuary.

Program Format: Designed for students 8 and up.

Students 8 years to 13 years are required to have a paying parent participate. For students 14 years and up, a parent is not required to participate but must be onsite during the program. 

Small group interactions: 10 people max per group

Schedule:

Zookeeper & VIP Animal Encounters: 9:00AM-1:00PM

Lunch/free time (bring your own picnic lunch): 1:00PM-2:00PM

Optional activities:

Penguin swim or paint with lemurs: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Baby otter swim or carnivore mini-tour: 3:00PM-4:00PM

Featured Animal Encounters and Learning Experience:

• Primates: Interact with lemurs while learning about their social relationships, behaviors, and enrichment needs.

• Xenarthrans: Interact with anteaters and sloths while exploring their distinctive adaptations, diets, and lifestyles.

• Carnivores: Learn about big cats through guided viewing and discussions of their behaviors, specialized care, and roles as predators.

• Semi-aquatic animals: Meet penguins and otters and explore how their care reflects their lives on land and in water. Swimming experiences are optional add-ons.

• Hoofstock: Meet and learn about cattle, antelope, water buffalo, deer, and other hoofed animals.

• Birds: Discover hornbills and toucans while learning about their diets, behaviors, and care.

Learning Outcomes:

• Biology, Zoology, and Life Sciences: Explore animal anatomy, adaptations, diets, social structures, and natural behaviors across several animal groups.

• Animal Welfare and Veterinary Science: Learn how daily observation, appropriate nutrition, enrichment, and habitat maintenance support animal well-being.

• Ecology and Environmental Science: Examine how animals interact with their environments and the roles different species play in ecosystems.

• Conservation: Discuss threats to wildlife, habitat protection, and the importance of responsible conservation practices.

• Ethics and Responsible Stewardship: Consider human impacts on animals and the importance of respectful, welfare-focused wildlife experiences.

• Career Exploration: Discover the responsibilities of zookeepers and other animal care professionals, including the observation, teamwork, and practical skills involved in their work.

Tuition and Fees Schedule

Main Program Tuition: $549 for students 8 and up

Parent: $249 (at least one parent must participate with any students under the age of 14 years).

Optional one-hour add-on activities include a book: 

• Swim with baby otter: $129 (max 8 people)

• Swim with penguins: $139 (max 10 people)

• Private paint with lemurs: $109 (max 30 people)

• Carnivore Mini-Tour: $129 (max 10 people)

Note: These limited, exclusive one-hour experiences are offered only to families participating in our program. Ages 8+.

What is Included

• A unique, immersive program created specifically for North Winds Institute that includes a four-hour Zookeeper for a Day and VIP Animal Encounters program.

• Guided educational instruction connecting animal care with biology, zoology, conservation, and animal welfare.

• Program t-shirt for registered students only (not included for parents). 

• Hand curated educational curriculum materials for students. 

What is Not Included

• Travel expenses

• Food

• Optional swimming and painting activities (listed above)

Each optional activity is priced separately and is not included in the main program fee.

Safety and Participation Requirements

Participants should wear closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothing suitable for animal care activities. Chase Sanctuary’s published Keeper for a Day requirements specify a minimum age of 8 and require children ages 13 and under to be accompanied by an adult. All participants must follow sanctuary staff instructions.

Animal encounters do not imply unrestricted physical contact. Species-specific boundaries and any additional requirements for swimming or painting activities should be confirmed with the sanctuary before registration.

Optional penguin swim details:

You'll enter the habitat pool and swim alongside our colony of critically endangered African penguins. Your experience begins with a guided introduction on dry land where you will meet the penguins, learn their individual personalities, and hear about the conservation challenges facing this remarkable species. Then you'll step into the water and join them in their world.

What's Included

• Guided introduction to meet the penguins on dry land first

• Learn each penguin's unique personality and conservation story

• Entry into the African penguin habitat pool

• Up-close time with the colony

• 100% of proceeds support African penguin care & conservation

Pool conditions: approximately 4 feet of salt water, 75°F. Rocky and sandy habitat surfaces. Water shoes strongly recommended. Arrive dressed and ready to enter the water. Bring a towel and change of clothes.

Good to Know

• Ages 8 and up

• Must be able to safely navigate steps into and out of the pool

• Must be comfortable in ~4 feet of 75°F salt water

• Water shoes strongly recommended for rocky and sandy surfaces

• Bring your own towel and a change of clothes

• The penguins are wild animals. Their behavior is natural and cannot be guaranteed

Optional baby otter swim details:

You'll be in the pool with baby otter Siren or Sailor guided by their dedicated trainer as they splash, play, and discover the joy of swimming. Its a one-of-a-kind experience not available anywhere else.

What's Included

• In-pool experience with baby otter Siren or Sailor

• Guided by Chase Sanctuary's otter trainer

• Hands-on time in a spacious, clean pool (~4 ft deep)

Good to Know

• Ages 8 and up for both experiences

• Minors must be accompanied by an adult

• Wear clothes or a swimsuit suitable for water as you will get wet

• Water shoes or secure footwear strongly recommended

• Pool depth is approximately 4 feet.

• Bring your own towel and change of clothes

Optional private lemur painting experience:

Enjoy a one-of-a-kind artistic experience surrounded by amazing animals in the sanctuary. A local artist will guide you in painting a canvas while lemurs roam freely in their 10-acre habitat.

These curious and playful primates might even leave their mark on your artwork, creating an even more special keepsake. The outdoor space is shaded by majestic oak trees, providing a relaxing and natural environment for your creativity to flow.

What's Included

• All Materials Provided

• Paints, canvas, easel, and brushes are all included. Just show up and create. We recommend wearing comfortable clothes that you don't mind getting a little messy.

• Guided painting session with a local artist

• Take your finished artwork home as a keepsake

• Shaded outdoor setting under majestic oak trees

Optional carnivore mini-tour:

Get closer than ever to our rarest predators on this exclusive Behind the Scenes Wildcat & Carnivore Tour. Hand-feed playful genets and otters, meet wild African servals up close, and come face-to-face with our elusive clouded leopards, caracals, and lynx. This private tour has a maximum of 10 guests to ensure an incredible, intimate interaction. Led by the wildcat curators who have trained and know these animals best.

What's Included

• Meet African servals up close

• Come face-to-face with clouded leopards, caracals & lynx

• Feed some of our wild cats

Good to know:

• Ages 8 and up

• Closed-toe shoes required

  
  

Cancellation Policy:

No refunds once booked, as this program date is less than 30 days away.

We understand that unforeseen circumstances can arise, and we will always do our best to work with you! Sometimes we have a waiting list and can transfer your space to another family. However, once participants are booked and committed to our location partners, we cannot recover them after certain dates. This is why travel insurance is suggested to cover any unexpected events, and we’ll strive to transfer funds to other trips whenever possible. Deposit is not refundable.

PARTICIPANT CANCELLATIONS:

Notification of cancellation must be received in writing to info@northwindsinstitute.com

Voucher Funds

This program is approved for Step-Up for Students in Florida and may qualify for other school voucher programs. No refunds will be issued as per SUFS policy.  All food, transportation, and hotel costs are paid for by the parent and not with scholarship funds.

Chase Sanctuary Animal Sponsorship:

Sponsor an Animal through Chase Sanctuary’s sponsorship program: 

A monthly sponsorship covers food, enrichment, and veterinary care for one of their residents, and you'll get a photo update every month so you can see how they're doing.

What Your Sponsorship Covers

• Food and the everyday care that keeps them healthy

• Enrichment: toys, puzzles, and new experiences that keep minds and bodies active

• Veterinary care, from routine checkups to anything that comes up

• Rescue and species preservation work across the sanctuary

100% of all proceeds go directly to species preservation, rescue, care, and enrichment.

Families who sponsor an animal through Chase Sanctuary will receive a complimentary stuffed animal as a thank-you gift from North Winds Institute.

Sponsorship information here: https://www.chasesanctuary.org/sponsor-an-animal/