Florida Wildlife Hospital

INTERNSHIP

The Florida Wildlife Hospital offers unique summer internship opportunities for students with an interest in native Florida wildlife. Summer internships (2 available with housing, 2 available without housing) are available at a wildlife hospital in Melbourne, Florida which admits over 3,500 patients annually. State and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitators care for native Florida wildlife and migratory birds (excluding marine mammals and venomous snakes) with assistance from veterinarians, volunteers, and interns. During the summer months, most admissions are infant birds and mammals that require almost constant care. Interns will learn to identify native species, set up age and species appropriate environments, choose, prepare, and feed nutritious diets, and assist with medical treatments. There may also be opportunities to work in our lab (blood analysis and parasite checks), observe surgeries and necropsies, assist with admission and treatment of patients, and visit nearby wildlife, zoo, and veterinary facilities.

FWH Internship Program Specifications:

Requirements:

at least 18 years old
enrolled in a college program pursuing an interest in biology, ornithology, wildlife sciences, environmental studies, pre-veterinary medicine, or a related field
in-person interview mandatory (no exceptions) and conducted on-site in Melbourne, FL; all costs associated with the in-person interview are the interviewee’s responsibility
reliable transportation, valid driver’s license & proof of insurance required
a drug test will be required at the discretion of the director, manager, or president; this may occur at any time and for no reason or cause
applicants should have no animal-related allergies
previous experience working with wildlife or other animals helpful but not required
current tetanus shot
pre-exposure rabies shots not required; however interns without shots will not work with rabies vector species (please verify we will need you to work with these species before you obtain shots)

Qualifications - interns must be able to:

speak, read and write the English language fluently
work independently and as a team member
do tedious tasks for long periods of time
work outdoors in Florida during the summer
be able to lift up to 50 pounds
walk up to 1 mile at a brisk pace over uneven terrain (for rescues & releases)
work quickly and efficiently while following directions and procedures exactly
get along with others in a group-housing situation
there is a risk of zoonotic disease associated with wildlife rehabilitation and applicants with an abnormal immune system or chronic auto-immune disorder are obligated to notify the director of this condition

Schedule:

interns provided with housing will be scheduled to work 4 10-hour days each week, including weekends and holidays with rotating days off, interns accepted without housing may be scheduled up to 10 hours per day, up to 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays with rotating days off
interns may be required to check in patients in the evenings on their scheduled days
May-August – exact dates will be dependent upon school end/start dates (approx 12 weeks)

Compensation:

internships are unpaid, and are available with or without housing
air conditioned housing is available with a private bedroom, the bathroom, living room & kitchen will be shared with another intern
food and utilities other than water/electric/gas are intern’s responsibility, internet access is available (we do not provide telephone service or cable TV)
medical insurance is not provided by Florida Wildlife Hospital, it is strongly suggested that interns have their own insurance
interns will sign a waiver exempting Florida Wildlife Hospital & Sanctuary, Inc. from liability for injury and illness occurring during the externship

To apply please send:

completed FWH Internship Application
two letters of reference including addresses and contact numbers from two individuals not related to you who have known you for over a year employment history with dates, names and contact telephone numbers for employers
essay covering what you hope to gain from this experience (at least 100 but no more than 300 words)

Students will be contacted after their application has been reviewed by Florida Wildlife Hospital’s board of directors. Interviews will be conducted in March and April. Interns chosen for the positions are expected to start in early May. Exact dates will be determined by school schedules.