Job Description

Unpaid Animal Care Internship - Big Cats, Hippos, Primates and CrocodilesThe Memphis Zoo has an exciting internship opportunity with our Cat Country/Zambezi River Hippo Team. Interns will work with keepers to gain firsthand experience on all aspects of animal husbandry as it relates to the animal's physiological and psychological well-being, and for the general maintenance of enclosures and habitats. The ideal candidate for this position should be seeking a career in the animal care field and enjoy working in a team environment.Collection encompasses:The Cat Country / Zambezi River Hippo Camp team cares for all Felid species from fishing cats to tigers as well as hippos, Nile crocodiles, flamingos, African hoofstock, and other species.Essential Functions:Assists keepers and team leads with the daily husbandry of assigned animals (no direct contact with class one animals).Facilitates formal and informal public presentations to engage guests and provide a positive guest experience.Actively observes animals' behavior.Prepares daily diets and maintains accurate records of assigned animals.Appropriately cleans/disinfects assigned animal enclosures/habitats according to written protocols and supported by keepers and team leads.Completes a special project covering observations, research, enrichment or another area of interest.Program Overview and RequirementsMinimum requirements: All applicants must have been enrolled in their freshman year at an accredited college or university and must have a GPA of 3.0 or greater. Applicants should include a resume and cover letter as one document with their application. Start and end dates are flexible.Preferred qualifications: Candidates for this position should be self-motivated, hard-working, positive, dependable, like to work in a team setting, and have an interest in pursuing a career in animal care. Preference is given to those currently studying a related science field or those who have just completed one.Position type/expected hours of work: This internship is unpaid. The program spans 10-12 weeks and participants will be scheduled up to 40hrs per week. Spring internships begin in January and end in May (deadline for application is due Nov 15). Summer internships will begin in May and end in August (deadline for application March 1). Fall internships begin in August and end in December (deadline for application due July 1). Housing must be acquired by individual. Selected participants must successfully complete a background check and TB test.Work Environment: While performing the duties, the intern frequently works in outside weather conditions. The intern is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, chemicals and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet while in the office, or moderately loud while on Zoo grounds.Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an intern to successfully perform the essential functions.While performing the duties of this internship, the intern is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, talk and hear. The intern is constantly required to use hands and fingers to feel, handle or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The intern is occasionally required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl and walk. The intern must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.QualificationsTeam Player: Works well as a member of a groupDedicated: Devoted to a task or purpose with loyalty or integrityAbility to Make an Impact: Inspired to perform well by the ability to contribute to the success of a project or the organizationEducation: Some college or better in Biology or related field.

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