You’re not being bamboo-zled, the San Francisco Zoo is already advertising the job “Assistant Curator of Giant Pandas,” and they say the salary range is between $67,000-$72,000 per year, even though this panda thing is not a done deal.

Last we had heard, that quest to bring a panda or two to the SF Zoo looked like it was on pretty shaky ground. The project’s biggest cheerleader London Breed has been voted out of office, and SF Zoo brass have cast doubt on the whole thing happening, as one its biggest donors is completely against the idea.

Job listing for SF Zoo
byu/AdelaQuested24 insanfrancisco

But SFist was goofing off on Reddit earlier today, and we saw a post claiming the zoo was hiring for an Assistant Curator of Giant Pandas position. Intrigued, we double-checked and found the job is listed on Indeed, and to definitely confirm this, the job is also displayed on the SF Zoo’s website as seen below.

(The job listing link did not work for us on a desktop browser, but it did work on a mobile browser. This is probably not the SF Zoo’s fault, the position is posted on a third-party job site called Offerdox.)

“Under the general supervision of the Curator of Giant Pandas or designee, this position provides direct supervision of assigned Animal Keepers who are responsible for the giant pandas,” the job listing says. “Duties include, but are not limited to, coordinating the activities of a section of the Zoo; facilitating the work of the Animal Keepers by ensuring that the keepers have the necessary tools, equipment and supplies; responsible for administrative functions such as scheduling, timekeeping, evaluations and progressive discipline.”

The salary range for the job is listed as $67,000-$72,000 per year.

But there are very specific qualifications, qualifications which most of our readers likely do not meet. The listing requires a “minimum of 5 years of progressive animal husbandry and Giant Panda experience in an [Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited] institution working with small and large carnivores and other code red species.” Also, you would need a degree in zoology, biology, wildlife management, or a “related field.”

Does the San Francisco Zoo know something we don’t know about the likelihood of the pandas coming here? Probably not. The listing ends with the words, “This position is contingent on the San Francisco Zoo reaching agreement to acquire the Giant Pandas.”

And that agreement does not appear to be anywhere near happening.

Related: SF Zoo Claims It’s Nearing Its $20 Million Fundraising Goal to Bring Pandas to Town [SFist]

Image: WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 24: Female giant panda Qing Bao eats bamboo in her enclosure at the National Zoo on January 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. The public were permitted to visit the new giant pandas who first arrived to DC from China in October of 2024 and completed a period of quarantine. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)