Wildlife Rehabilitation Intern

Job description
WRC provides qualified internship applicants the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with wildlife in our seasonal Mammal or Avian Nurseries or in Turtle Care. Areas are open from late March through late October; there are different sessions within that time frame available for interns depending on availability (see attached PDFs and/or https://wrcmn.org/Wildlife-Internships-at-WRC/12/ for details).

College students, college graduates, or people just looking for a fun hands-on experience with wildlife are all welcome. Internship positions are unpaid and housing is not provided. Applicants must be 18 years or older.

Duties and responsibilities
- Commitment of 20-30 hours per week and 300 hours minimum to complete the internship. Interns are not working directly with veterinarians in the treatment room, however, upon completion of >400 hours of internship time, the intern may be considered for the veterinary shadowing program (one 2-3 hour shadow shift per week)
- Working with wildlife requires some labor-intensive tasks, so you must capable of listing 30lbs, being on feet for 4+ hours, working in a hot and humid environment, bending down/sitting on the ground, and working in varying weather conditions.
- Follow all WRC policies and procedures relating to safety, personal protective equipment, biosecurity, animal care
- Be dedicated to providing the best care possible to patients and maintaining the wild nature of patients
- Work closely with volunteers by providing ongoing training and guidance
- Admit new patients: Set up caging, prepare food, organize paperwork, and follow protocols
- Prepare food for and hand-feed young patients, using a variety of techniques
- Maintain caging with appropriate furnishings for a wide variety of species
- Learn to recognize signs of illness and notify supervisor when there are concerns about a patient’s health
- Administer medications (including injections, especially for Turtle Care)
- Maintain paperwork
- Maintain laundry and clean cages; keep the nursery clean and orderly
- Treat everyone including staff, volunteers, other interns with respect
- NOTE for Mammal Nursery interns only: Rabies pre-exposure vaccine series and titer are required before beginning your internship. Additionally, shifts will be at both Roseville, Minn. and Grant, Minn. locations so a vehicle will be necessary.
- NOTE for Turtle Care interns only: Shift times are strictly 12pm - 6pm