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Animal Care Internships

Employer
Aza
Location
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, US
Salary
Competitive
Closing date
Feb 1, 2022

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Sector
Aquarium / Zoo / Botanical garden
Field
Conservation science
Discipline
Other
Salary Type
Salary
Employment Type
Internship
Lehigh Valley Zoo Lvzoo.org Animal Care Internships Animal Care Internships Lehigh Valley Zoo's mission is to create a safe, engaging, and enlightening wildlife experience for guests of all ages as it demonstrates leadership in the cultural, scientific, and conservation communities. The Lehigh Valley Zoo is offering 3 unique opportunities to participate in an unpaid Ambassador Animal Keeper internship, an unpaid Barnyard Area Keeper internship and an unpaid Hoofstock Animal Keeper internship. Applicants internship preference will be taken into consideration however, qualified applicants may be assigned to any one of the three internship opportunities. Ambassador Animal Internship During this internship, interns will experience the day to day husbandry of our ambassador population which includes a variety of mammals, birds, herps, and inverts. The internship is designed to provide students the opportunity to learn the following: The internship is designed to provide students the opportunity to learn the following: * Proper animal handling techniques * Assisting with daily husbandry of a variety of species * Exhibit and animal safety * Proper nutrition and diet preparation * The fundamentals of modern animal training techniques (by observation) * Basics of animal behavior and evaluating behavior using ethograms * Maintaining of animal exhibits and holding areas according to AZA and USDA regulations * Assisting with record keeping * Implementing, and evaluating enrichment * Public speaking skills through keeper chats and public animal demonstrations * Gaining knowledge of zoo wide emergency procedures * How to work cooperatively in a team environment Barnyard Area Keeper Internship During this internship, interns will experience the day to day husbandry of our barnyard area which includes: llamas, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, etc. The internship is designed to provide students the opportunity to learn the following: The internship is designed to provide students the opportunity to learn the following: * Proper animal handling techniques * Assisting with the supervision of public feeds * Assisting in the commissary * Assisting with daily husbandry of a variety of species * Exhibit and animal safety * Proper nutrition and diet preparation * The fundamentals of modern animal training techniques (by observation) * Basics of animal behavior and evaluating behavior using ethograms * Maintaining of animal exhibits and holding areas according to AZA and USDA regulations * Assisting with record keeping * Implementing, and evaluating enrichment * Public speaking skills through keeper chats and public interaction * Gaining knowledge of zoo wide emergency procedures * How to work cooperatively in a team environment Hoofstock Internship During this internship, interns will experience the day to day husbandry of our hoofstock population which includes: camels, scimitar-horned oryx, aoudad, and giraffe, etc. The internship is designed to provide students the opportunity to learn the following: The internship is designed to provide students the opportunity to learn the following: * Assisting with daily husbandry of a variety of species * Exhibit and animal safety * Proper nutrition and diet preparation * The fundamentals of modern animal training techniques (by observation) * Basics of animal behavior and evaluating behavior using ethograms * Maintaining of animal exhibits and holding areas according to AZA and USDA regulations * Assisting with record keeping * Implementing, and evaluating enrichment * Public speaking skills through keeper chats and public interaction * Gaining knowledge of zoo wide emergency procedures * How to work cooperatively in a team environment Physical demands and work environment: Zoo keeping is a physically demanding profession, and interns are subjected to a variety of physical and environmental challenges. Applicants must be willing and able to work in all types of weather, and be able to lift at least 50 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee must be able to drive Zoo vehicles, and be able to follow oral and/or written instructions. Interns are required to have proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Qualifications: Qualified applicants must have completed at least one year of college or have graduated within the last year. Preferred candidates will have or be working towards a degree in biology, zoology, animal behavior, or any other related field. Applicants should show strong observation and communication skills, an ability to work alone or in a group, an ability to think creatively and show critical thinking and good problem solving skills. All interns will be expected to work a ten hour day and complete the minimum hour requirement for their session. Interns may also receive course credit for the internship from their respective institutes as arranged by the student and intern coordinator. Duration of Internships The Lehigh Valley Zoo offers internships throughout the year. The duration is determined by the intern coordinator, start and end dates are flexible but must be approved in advance. Typical intern sessions: * Summer internships: three days a week, mid-May through mid-August.(10 weeks minimum) * Fall internships: * Part time: one day a week, end of August through December.(15 weeks minimum) * Full time: three days a week, end of August through December (12 minimum) * Spring internships: * Part time: one day a week, end of January through May. (15 weeks minimum) * Full time: three days a week, end of January through May (12 weeks minimum) Deadlines for Applications and How to Apply To apply, please send a resume and cover letter stating career goals, prior experience, and other pertinent information to Amy Tucker and Meg McGlone at ACI@lvzoo.org. Please specify interest in which session time along with availability. Applications sent after the deadline will not be taken into consideration. Deadlines: * Summer session: March 1st * Fall session: July 15th * Spring session: December 1st * All internships are unpaid. The Lehigh Valley Zoo does not provide housing for interns. It is the responsibility of the intern to arrange and pay for housing and associated costs of living for the duration of the internship. Interns are required to follow Lehigh Valley Zoo COVID-19 policies. Salary Unpaid How to Apply To apply, please send a resume and cover letter stating career goals, prior experience, and other pertinent information to Amy Tucker and Meg McGlone at ACI@lvzoo.org. Please specify interest in which session time along with availability. Applications sent after the deadline will not be taken into consideration. Lehigh Valley Zoo 5150 Game Preserve Rd Schnecksville, PA 18078 Phone: 6107994171 Fax: Lvzoo.org Visit our website @Lvzoo.org Like us on Facebook

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