At Wildlife Images we provide the hands-on experience people need when entering the rehabilitation and animal husbandry industry. We accept interns year-round. Spring and Summer internships are heavily focused on wildlife rehabilitation in our wildlife clinic which admits more than 1,200 patients a year. Fall and winter internships are geared toward the care and husbandry of more than 100 resident animal ambassadors. Regardless of the season, all interns will learn some aspects of both ambassador and wildlife patient care. Interning with Wildlife Images also provides experience in a fast-paced, team environment at a park visited year-round by the public.
Duties for all interns, regardless of department:
● Cleaning: scrubbing kennels and enclosures, washing dishes, cleaning and folding
laundry, sweeping, mopping, raking, power washing, and more.
● Diet preparation: cutting and weighing meats, produce, kibble, and specialty items
including whole bodied prey.
● Public speaking: interns will assist keeper and clinic staff in their daily public encounters
and keeper talks
Department-specific duties:
Clinic Department
Working with wild animal patients, tasks include:
● Weighing, cleaning, and feeding of adult and baby raptors, songbirds, and squirrels.
● Observe and assist in medical treatment of species listed above. Treatment may include
administering medications and fluids, cleaning wounds, applying wraps and splints,
viewing x-rays, and more.
● Summer interns can expect frequent shifts in the baby bird room which will include 3-4
hours of baby bird feeding and oversight of their care.
● Observing and understanding different methods and reasons behind humane
euthanasia.
● Rabies vaccinated interns may assist staff in the feeding, cleaning, and treatment of
raccoons, foxes, bats, skunks, and other rabies vector species. Non-vaccinated interns
may observe.
Mammal Department
Working with ambassador mammals, tasks include:
● Shadowing and assisting keepers as they feed, clean, train, and enrich our medium and
large carnivores and dangerous animal collection.
● Learning and performing basic husbandry such as feeding and enriching small mammals
including skunks, Patagonian cavies, ferrets, sugar gliders, chinchillas, and flying
squirrel. Depending on intern understanding and performance these tasks may be done
without supervision.
Avian Department
Working with ambassador birds, tasks include:
● Shadowing and assisting keepers as they feed, clean, train, and enrich our eagles, and
larger dangerous owls and hawks.
● Learning and performing basic husbandry such as feeding and enriching small and
habituated raptors including Kestrels and Vultures, Cranes, and Quail. Depending on
intern understanding and performance these tasks may be done without supervision.
Reptile Department
Working with ambassador reptiles and arthropods, tasks include:
● Shadowing and assisting keepers as they feed, clean, train, and enrich our snakes,
lizards, geckos, and more.
● Learning and performing basic husbandry such as feeding and enriching 3 different
species of tortoise. Depending on intern understanding and performance these tasks
may be done without supervision.
Production Department
● Assisting staff in the sorting of donated meats and produce and organizing items into
fridges, trash, or to be composted.
● Performing care for breeding colonies of feeder rodents. This includes cleaning
enclosures, providing food, water, and enrichment.
● Optional opportunities to learn how to euthanize feeder rodents and butcher large game
such as deer.
Our internships are highly competitive and we require all interns to work full-time, 40 hours per
week, for 12 weeks. Interns that commit to this entire time frame are also eligible for low-cost
housing at the on-site intern house. There is no rent for the intern house but we do require a
non-refundable $200 deposit to cover bills, communal supplies (toilet paper, paper towels), and
annual professional cleaning. Housing is on a first come/first serve basis but the park may
accept additional interns that choose to live off-site.
When applying, you will need to submit:
● Resume
● Letter of Recommendation
● Three References
● Completion of application questionnaire
Completed applications should be sent to internships@wildlifeimages.org
