So I have an interview with them in about 30 minutes over the phone.
I'm nervous as hell of course

Anyone ever worked with/for them? What were some things you liked/didn't like about the job.
The pay is going to be shitty and the drive is a bit long, but hell, the experience would be worth it I think.

**I'm not asking to have information for the interview (I'm all set on that thanks), I'm asking just to know if I really want to work there or not. I've heard good things and bad and I wanted to hear opinions from anyone who has volunteered, interned, or even taken tours there as to what the condition of the place is.

[Edited on January 11, 2007 at 1:43 PM. Reason : Since people seem to misunderstand my reason for asking. ]

1/11/2007 1:20:22 PM

at least you didn't wait until the LAST minute...

1/11/2007 1:28:44 PM

well I wanted some oppinions to SUPPLEMENT my opinion . . not form it for me.

1/11/2007 1:31:12 PM

this is like worrying about being pregnant after making out with a guy.

1/11/2007 1:34:28 PM

well most jobs don't offer you the job straight after the interview . .

I was asking to see if anyone out there actually WORKED with them.

1/11/2007 1:36:08 PM

i thought that CPT stood for colored people time

1/11/2007 1:44:50 PM

from what I had heard years ago, the place was pretty depressing and the under-funded facilities looked like shit

1/11/2007 1:47:42 PM

I did a little volunteering for 'em a couple years ago. It's rough work, you're basically a ranch hand except the cows can eat you. Personally I think it's all a waste of time and money. Every animal in there should have never been in NC to begin with, and now that they're back in responsible hands the responsible and humane thing to do would be to shoot them in the head. Instead you have wild range predators shut up in dog pens directly beside a residential neighborhood.

Have fun. And memorize the location of those panic cages...

1/11/2007 1:50:41 PM

It's not near as bad as these morons are making it out to be.
I worked there over the summer in '04 as an intern through the university.

It's very hard work and the cages some animals are in are pretty pathetic but a lack of funding only allows for the essentials.

The animals are well fed, safely housed and live better lives than they did with previous owners who likely bought them as pets.

If you enjoy takin care of animals, have a strong stomach and look forward to working with exotics, you'll enjoy this experience.

The pay is terrible from what I hear though. Kathryn Bertok and the staff there are very nice people and fun to work with

And you dont need to remember where the safety cages are unless you're a dumbass and decide to snuggle with Romeo or Tex

1/11/2007 2:31:19 PM

hehe thanks for the actual answers guys, I appreciate it!

i DO have a strong stomach . . I just finished up 2 years at the chicken unit where we routinely dealt with shit and death. literally.
I just finished speaking with Kathryn and she said she'd call me tomorrow for a walk-around interview!
I know the pay is shit and it will be hard to adjust to that, but I think the experience will be worth it. I've worked with so many species of large and small animals this will be a real treat for me to do something this different!

1/11/2007 2:34:58 PM

I've volunteered there for 6 yrs.

Sometimes it was once a week, sometimes 80 hrs/week.
Now it's once or twice a month (i split my weekends with another exotic animal facility)
I'm trained as a zoo keeper, can give tour guides, lead work groups, done awareness and out-reach programs. I've interviewed with them as well.
I co-ran a summer camp this past summer.
I've seen dozens of staff members come and go (Kathryn is the only one who's still there since i started). I know the history of CPT and can talk about it for hours ( and do to my students)

It is an absolutely WONDERFUL facility with very dedicated hardworking staff and an immensely supportive volunteer force. The pay isn't the greatest but the rewards and experience you'll receive everyday are. CPT has changed A LOT in the past few years and i'm very proud of them.

The other keepers, Michelle and Sara are really nice girls. I'm assuming you're applying for the keep position.

If you have any specific questions feel free to pm me.

Hope to see you out there!



^ Tex


^ Henry. one of my favorites despite his evil cagemate Chancy

1/11/2007 3:14:15 PM

I volunteered there a couple years or so ago as a requirement with a nonprofits class I took. It was really cool, but smelled pretty bad. Our group helped to build the pen for Kaela and Rajah (omg, they got big! I just looked at the site). Overall, it was a really enriching experience and I wanted to go back, but couldnt commit to the amount of time they wanted out of volunteers. I think it will prove to be a good experience if nothing else. If you can live on the pay, go for it!

[Edited on January 11, 2007 at 3:41 PM. Reason : ...im getting old]

1/11/2007 3:38:26 PM

I worked there years ago, before they were USDA certified, as an intern.

I absolutely LOVED it.

I didn't get paid (only 1 position was paid at the time) but I didn't care.

You see, I was so thrilled to have an opportunity to work with the animals that I didn't care how far I had to drive each day or the fact that I had to have 2 jobs in addition to my internship. I didn't mind feeding time (and flinging chickens was the best part), I didn't mind cleaning the cages, I didn't mind pulling poison ivy, and I didn't mind writing a report. I had the experience of resuscitating a newborn binturong, playing with caracal and serval kittens, and making some pretty cool tiger buddies (Izzy was my fav!). I also got to help move a tiger from one enclosure to another, build some cage enhancements for both tigs and binturongs, and assist in a necropsy of a serval.

Basically its what you make of it. You get the bad with the good, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Now, I have NO idea how much things have changed since they were USDA certified...so I can't really speak about the present.

1/11/2007 5:06:42 PM

I'd like to throw a live goat over the fence and videotape the outcome.

1/11/2007 5:17:26 PM

Quote :

"and assist in a necropsy of a serval. "

What did they conclude the cause of death was? I'm just curious. It really is very cool that you got the opportunity to do something like that!

[Edited on January 11, 2007 at 6:09 PM. Reason : .]

1/11/2007 6:09:25 PM

Oh yeah it was very interesting and just goes to show that you benefit by showing up early for work! I can't remember if it was Laverne or Shirley, but at any rate, it appeared to be natural causes. I wasn't around when the blood work came back but there was no physical trauma and all the internal organs were A-OK.

1/11/2007 6:24:13 PM

I volunteer there one time...built a feeding cage/room for two lions about 10 years ago with some middle school friends as a volunteering thing. Was alot of fun. Very interesting to see all the animals and my friend got 'scented' on by a gigantic tiger.

1/11/2007 8:23:23 PM

^I dont believe that CPT ever housed any Lions


Tigers yes


I got to help with a necropsy when I interned there. It was a serval named Magellan (sp?)

I think they concluded that it was kidney failure...his kidneys looked like shit

1/11/2007 10:56:41 PM

I hope I get this job
I'll be hearing about when to have interview #2 tomorrow
I'm so excited!!

1/11/2007 11:03:03 PM

No i swear it was two lions in one enclosure...maybe both female...they couldn't have been tigers. But it was a long time ago. I was in 8th grade and I am now 24.

[Edited on January 11, 2007 at 11:04 PM. Reason : enclosure is a better word than cage]

1/11/2007 11:04:21 PM

They had one lion named Lucy. at least 8 yrs ago..

kidney failure is a very common cause of death in these animals

Kaela and Rajah live in O'Riley and Velveta's former enclosure... and the enclosures on tiger island have been there for over a decade

1/12/2007 7:29:25 AM

<--removed by request.-->

[Edited on January 12, 2007 at 7:51 AM. Reason : !]

1/12/2007 7:49:34 AM

yeah I think they used to have lions. They had 3 cougars when I was there....one was VERY cool and loved back scritches.

1/12/2007 8:00:22 AM

I live like two blocks from the CPT...they are awesome and the people are great there. Some of the people that work there helped my mom transport her dog to the vet when he was hit by a car. We can hear the tigers' mating growl in the summer...its quite odd.

1/12/2007 11:50:19 PM

^ I hike out there...You know the trail that runs from the Haw River at Hghwy 64 to the boat ramp a little ways down the road from your house? That is a sweet trail.

1/12/2007 11:57:29 PM

I just got called in for a 2nd working interview!!! I can't wait and I'm so excited. Thank you all for posting meaningful feedback about the place, I really appreciate it.
XCchik: I might PM you after the interview if I have some more questions about it

*scampers to bed*

1/13/2007 1:51:30 AM