Animal Care Intern - Cosley Zoo

Job Description
Animal Care Programs - Internship

The Company

Cosley Zoo, which is a facility of the Wheaton Park District and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, offers visitors up-close interactions with Illinois wildlife and farm animals right in the heart of the suburbs. Located in Wheaton, Cosley Zoo is nestled on 5 acres and offers a wide variety of programs which serves up to 170,000 annual visitors.

At Cosley Zoo, we help our visitors connect with animals by providing opportunities for them to discover many interesting facts about animals that impact their lives. We are dedicated to animal welfare through proactive health, nutrition, enrichment and training programs. Our team of zookeepers is committed to mentoring future animal care professionals through our internship program.

The Position

The zoo is looking for a dynamic and outgoing person to join our dedicated and fun-loving team. We are looking for someone who is working towards a career in zookeeping, loves working with people, and has a desire to provide a high-quality experience for guests and animals alike. Following are some of the functions you will perform:

• Clean animal areas
• Prepare and deliver nutritionally complete diets for the animals
• Provide enrichment
• Receive training certification and implement positive reinforcement training techniques with assigned animal under supervision of zookeeper mentor
• Complete an assigned independent project
• Complete all associated paper work including enrichment proposals, evaluations, projects and training documents
• Follow all safety protocols, participate in emergency preparedness drills
• Some animal handling
• Casual interpretation with or without the use of an animal or biofact
• Prepare a short presentation for zoo staff at the end of the internship

Work Hours

20 hours per week (including weekend and holidays) for twelve (12) weeks

Both weekday and weekend hours are required throughout the three-month session

The schedule is set on a first come first serve basis and does not rotate

Hourly Rate: Un-paid/Volunteer

The Qualifications:

To be considered for this position, we are looking for:

• Minimum of eighteen (18) years of age
• Have completed one semester of college credits, be currently enrolled in and pursuing a degree in a natural science or a recent graduate from an accredited degree program with a degree in natural sciences
• Friendly and personable
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Familiarity with Microsoft suite software
• Able to stand for long periods of time, crouch, stoop, kneel, climb or crawl, walk and stand on uneven or wet surfaces
• Move objects weighing up to 25 lbs
• Must be able to work outdoors with exposure to all weather conditions