Facility
Animal Park at the Conservators Center
Closing Date
[jobclosingdate]
Description
Are you eager to gain experience working with a carnivore-based collection? Are you interested in a bridge to employment in the zoo/sanctuary industry?
The Animal Park at the Conservators Center—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit wildlife park with a carnivore-based collection, including big cats, wolves, and small cats—is offering positions as Animal Keeper Interns. These interns are responsible for assisting staff with the operations associated with the husbandry of the animals on site. This is an all-weather outdoor position for an adventurous personality with a special interest in carnivores. An Animal Keeper Intern must have strong focus on the present moment, and must follow through with tasks precisely as directed. This position is unpaid, and requires weekend hours and some holidays. Subsidized housing is available, and our interns are compensated with incomparable experience in exotic animal husbandry. This position is generally full-time but may be available part-time with specific requirements for the right applicant.
HIGHLIGHTS OF RESPONSIBILITIES & ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
● Services and cleans animal habitats, holding areas, and general grounds
● Prepares (according to precise instructions) and delivers animal diets
● Creates and provides enrichment for animals
● Observes and reports animal behaviors
● Learns and strictly adheres to safety protocols and other procedures
● Assists with projects that may include habitat and enrichment construction and maintenance, operant conditioning animal training, and supporting veterinary procedures
● Learns procedures for capture and restraint, animal training, and medication administration
● Performs additional tasks as requested by animal husbandry staff
Education and Pre-requisites
SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS:
● Attention to detail
● Strong focus
● Ability to follow direction precisely
● Ability to receive constructive criticism and take corrective action
● Ability to work closely and communicate clearly with keeper staff and support volunteers, and to communicate occasionally if needed with members of the public visiting for tours or events
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:
● Minimum age of 18 required
● High school diploma or equivalent
● Enrolled in or recently graduated from a college or university program with a related focus
● Preference given to students closer to their graduation date
● Previous experience at a zoo, working with wildlife in rehabilitation, or in a veterinary clinic is preferred
LICENSING, CERTIFICATION, and/or REGISTRATION:
● Valid US driver’s license required
● Covid vaccination required
● Rabies pre-exposure vaccination preferred, but not required
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
● Requires 40 hour work weeks, with 2 days off, though they may not be consecutive
● Requires prolonged standing, significant walking, and bending, stooping, stretching, and other intensive physical labor
● Requires the ability to move safely over uneven ground while carrying items
● Requires lifting up to 50 pounds
● Rural location requires reliable transportation
● Requires working outdoors in most weather conditions, including in temperatures from 0 to 105 degrees F (normally temperate in central NC)
● Work with deceased whole prey, raw meat, strong odors
Compensation and benefits
This position is unpaid, and requires weekend hours and some holidays. Subsidized housing is available, and our interns are compensated with incomparable experience in exotic animal husbandry.
Application instructions
Please carefully review the information available on our website at www.animalparknc.org/connect/internships/ and apply according to the instructions there.