Facility
Utica Zoo
Closing Date
[jobclosingdate]
Description
The Utica Zoo offers professional animal care internships all year long. Animal care interns assist with routine animal husbandry of 200+ animals. This is a hands on experience working alongside the animal care staff and involves a wide variety of duties. We are looking for responsible, hard-working individuals that desire to learn about the role of a zookeeper and their day to day activities.
Duties will include cleaning, feeding, record keeping, enrichment, diet preparation, exhibit maintenance/construction, as well as assisting during veterinary procedures and education programming as instructed. This work is physically demanding. Interns must be able to lift and carry a minimum of 50lbs as well as be prepared to work in various weather and environmental conditions. Direct physical contact with animals is often limited. Interns will be required to do some public speaking and will have direct contact with visitors.
Intern positions are available in all animal areas and the animal commissary. Interns will be assigned to only one area for the duration of their internship, but may have brief opportunities to experience different aspects of all areas through veterinary procedures or as other situations arise.
All interns are required to attend onsite classes conducted by Zoo Staff on various aspects of animal care including animal and keeper health, capture and restraint, enrichment, animal training, and other topics.
Note: Access to the staff veterinarian is limited; therefore, if your goal is to work with a veterinarian, this may not be the internship for you. This internship is designed as a zoo keeping program. You will learn the inner-workings of a small zoo and how the animals are cared for.
Education and Pre-requisites
Qualifications for all internships: Must be enrolled in or have graduated from a college level zoology, wildlife, environmental science, ecology, or any science education or interpretation program
Requirements: Must be able to work in any weather conditions. Must be able to lift 50lbs.
Proof of negative tuberculin test required (must be within 6 months of start date). Tetanus vaccination recommended.
Compensation and benefits
All internships are UNPAID. Interns are expected to provide their own housing and transportation (public transportation is limited in the area immediately around the zoo). However some housing is available through Mohawk Valley Community College at special rates during summer session. Please indicate if you are interested at the time of application.
Application instructions
Resumes with appropriate cover letters should be sent via email to Pearl Yusuf, Director of Animal Operations, pearl.yusuf@uticazoo.org. The cover letter should include your areas of interest, goals and what you can offer the zoo. Statement of area interest does not guarantee placement in that area. Interns will be placed in accordance with the needs of the zoo animal collection. See http://uticazoo.org/animal-care-internships/ for additional internship details.
Resumes and cover letters will be accepted until April 30th but interviews and acceptance of positions may be filled earlier based on volume of applicants.