Keeper Internship (Birds, Mammals, Reptiles)

Birds, Mammals, and Wigglers (BMW) Internship

Internship or Volunteer Opportunity: Keeper Team

What we need:

Our interns learn valuable hands-on skills, taught by our BMW team, including cleaning animal areas, animal nutrition, diet preparation, organizing and cleaning animal food storage areas, and observing and documenting animal behaviors.

While BMW interns work near our animals, applicants for these positions should not expect direct animal contact, handling, or training on any regular basis.

What you may do:

While interning with the BMW team, you may be trained and may interact with river otters, alligators, black bear, hellbenders, owls, snakes, beaver, salamanders, bats, and turtles, among other animals. The typical BMW team member’s day consists of a lot of cleaning, dealing with biosolids, and chemical odors. There may be times when an intern assists the BMW team with animal training, watches a veterinarian procedure, and interacts with guests.

• Actively observe animals’ behavior.
• Cleaning of the commissary.
• Prepare daily diets and maintain accurate records of assigned animals.
• Gain knowledge with mammal, bird, reptile, and amphibian identifications.
• Assist with maintaining back of house areas.

How this will help us:

The Keeper team is constantly evolving and welcoming new species and opportunities to enhance our animals’ lives and the guest experience. Having dynamic and driven interns, or volunteers, join our team will ensure and promote effective and efficient care of the department’s animal collection.

How this will help you:

Several valuable hands-on skills will be taught including disease management, animal nutrition, live food preparation, and much more. The BMW internship is something that may help prepare you for a career in animal husbandry and many zoology, biology, or science related fields.

Skills & Experience:

• Intern must be 18 years or older
• Self-starter
• Detail-Oriented
• Must be willing to take direction and ask questions
• Requires walking/standing approximately 75% of the time, sitting 10% of the time, forward bending and crouching 15% of the time, lifting up to 50 lbs.
• Requires walking/standing approximately 75% of the time, sitting 10% of the time, forward bending and crouching 15% of the time, lifting up to 50 lbs.

Availability/Time Commitment:

• Intern must commit to a minimum of 24 Hours per week, with at least one 8-hour shift for a minimum of 10 weeks. Interns must complete a minimum of 240 hours, along with delivering a presentation on an assigned project to the Life Science, Education, and Volunteer Services teams.
• The internship will run from September - December, January - May, or June- August.
• Intern will work early morning hours through the early afternoon, typically 6am until 3pm.
• Please note that this is an unpaid internship.

Fun Fact about the Department:

Wonders of Wildlife has 2 resident otters that call it home.

Application

You will need to fill out an application on our website at www.wondersofwildlife.org/volunteer/. If you have any questions, please reach out to our volunteer team!

Volunteer Services Contact Info:

Phone: 417-709-3900;

Email: wow.volunteers@wondersofwildlife.org

Website: www.wondersofwildlife.org/volunteer/