Resource Guide to Wildlife Rehabilitation Internships

Resource Guide to Wildlife Rehabilitation InternshipsResource Guide to Wildlife Rehabilitation InternshipsAspiring wildlife rehabilitators can pursue a number of internships that will help prepare them for a career in this area. Below is a list of the opportunities currently available. Wildlife Rehabilitation Internships The National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (in Illinois) offers wildlife rehabilitation internships at its Fellow Mortals Wildlife Hospital. Interns assist with orphan animal care, exams, critical care, feeding, releases, reception duties, and fundraising activities. Positions involve 60 hour work weeks. Undergraduate interns receive a $200 stipend each month while graduate interns receive $300 per month plus free housing and utilities.The Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (in North Carolina) offers interns the chance to assist with all aspects of sea turtle care including food preparation, habitat maintenance, veterinary treatments, bathing, work ing the water system, and more. Internships brde 12 weeks with 5 and 1/2 hours per day. Housing is included. PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Internships (in Washington) give interns the opportunity to work with some of the 2,500 wild animals the facility receives each year. Interns learn to tube feed young animals, proper handling techniques, how to administer medication, food preparation techniques, wound care, radiology, and more. Internships andrang for 12 weeks with a 40 hour work week and are offered in the spring, summer, and fall. A Wildlife Bird Rehabilitation Internship is also available.Bay Beach Wildlife Rehabilitation Internships (in Wisconsin) offer college juniors or seniors the chance to treat and care for some of the 5,000 animals brought to the facility each year, as well as the opportunity to complete a summer project. The 14-week internship involves 40 hours per day. The program begins in May and offers a stipend of $2,800. College credit is possible. Blue Mountain W ildlife (in Oregon) has an internship program that allows interns to treat and care for injured wildlife. Blue Mountain specializes in raptor rehabilitation few mammals are admitted. Internships belastung approximately eight weeks and are unpaid, though a small weekly stipend is provided to cover food and housing costs. Free housing is available, and college credit is also possible.The North Carolina Zoo accepts interns to work at its Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Interns assist with medication, physical therapy, radiographs, diet preparation, habitat maintenance, and record keeping. The unpaid internships last at least one semester or a minimum of 10 weeks and work 175 hours. The paid internship lasts for one year with a minimum of 40 hours per week. Housing is available for a fee. Preference is given to those pursuing animal care careers. Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation (in Washington) offers Wildlife Care Internships. Interns assist with all aspects of wildlife care, rehabili tation, and release over the 8 to 12-week internships. No college coursework or previous experience is required. The internship is unpaid, but on-site housing and laundry are available.Pelican Harbor Seabird Station (in Florida) offers wildlife rehabilitation internships. PHSS specializes in the care of brown pelicans but has expanded its mission to include all native Florida wildlife. Internships are available to college students or recent graduates and are a semester in duration. While the internships are unpaid, a meal stipend is provided as well as housing on an air-conditioned houseboat. The California Wildlife Center offers wildlife rehabilitation internships in ten-weeksessions for 32 hours per week. Interns gain experience with raptors, land mammals, and marine mammals. Internships are unpaid, but housing and college credit may be available.Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (on San Juan Island in Washington) offers wildlife rehabilitation internships that last 8 to 9 weeks between May and October. Interns have the chance to work with deer, raptors, raccoons, seals, birds, and more. Housing is provided, and college credit is possible. Wildlife Rescue Rehabilitation (in Texas) offers internships in wildlife rehabilitation. The interns have the opportunity to work with the 5,000 animals brought in each year, plus several hundred permanent residents of the adjoining sanctuary. There are a limited number of positions that run for three months with a 120-hour commitment. The internship is unpaid, and no housing is provided.The Wildlife In Need Center (in Wisconsin) offers a variety of wildlife internships including animal care, marketing, and education. The facility receives approximately 3,000 animals annually. Animal care interns focus on wildlife rehabilitation with native birds, mammals, and reptiles. There are both full-time and part-time internships. A stipend and possibly some housing assistance are available, for the full-time program. Coll ege credit may also be awarded. The National Audubon Society (in Connecticut) offers internships that focus on the care of birds of prey, songbirds, waterfowl, and reptiles. The facility sees approximately 300 animals annually. Interns learn how to assess and treat injuries, how to properly handle animals when necessary, how to hand-feed orphaned young birds and more. There are both paid and unpaid internships available with furnished housing and utilities provided. Additional opportunities may be found by searching online for wildlife rehabilitation facilities in your area. While the internships above involve a full-time commitment for their duration, there are many part-time internship opportunities as well.