Animal Care Internships (various areas)
Zoo Miami’s Animal Care internship is designed for college students and recent graduates who desire a career in animal training/care and wish to gain hands on experience in a zoological setting. This internship will help aspiring animal professionals acquire hands-on experience with a wide variety of species that is a pre-requisite to gaining employment in the zoological field. It is our goal to offer a dynamic internship to individuals who have chosen a career in animal care, training, welfare, and husbandry.
Zoo Miami is the largest and oldest zoological garden in Florida, and the only tropical zoo in the continental United States. Today, Zoo Miami occupies almost 750 acres (340 developed), and is home to over 3,000 animals representing more than 400 different species. We are proud to be active in many global wildlife and environmental conservation initiatives and are currently involved in over 36 projects taking place on six continents. We are experiencing an exciting time of advancement that will focus on five strategic priorities: Animal Well Being, Conservation and Stewardship, Guest Experience, Financial Strength, and Performance Excellence. Interns will be exposed to all aspects of the daily care and training of multiple species and also educated in the areas of husbandry, training, enrichment, biology, conservation, nutrition, and record keeping. Interns will participate with keepers in the daily tasks of cleaning, diet preparation, enrichment, observing animal training sessions, and monitoring animals during hours when the zoo is open to the public.
Description: The internship at Zoo Miami is designed for college students or recent graduates interested in multi-species animal care. This internship is unpaid. Interns must commit to a minimum of 320 hours over a 16-week period (including but not limited to weekends and holidays).
Responsibilities:
- Exhibit maintenance, cleaning, and set-up
- Diet preparation
- Off exhibit holding area cleaning, maintenance, and set-up
- Animal observations and record keeping
- Enrichment
- Keeper Talks
- Participate in seminars and lectures on animal care, biology, conservation, and training
Requirements:
- At least 18 years old
- Currently enrolled in college or recent college graduate
- Provide cover letter and resume
- Provide professional and/or academic references
- Able to afford housing, food, and transportation to Zoo Miami
- Good communication skills both written and verbal
- Able to lift at least 50 lbs and be in good physical condition
- Provide a current negative TB test prior to internship start date
- Must submit to background check and fingerprint screening at designated Miami-Dade county facility
Although this internship will better equip individuals for a job in the zookeeping field, this internship does not guarantee employment with Zoo Miami or Miami-Dade County.
All applicants will be notified upon receipt of all materials. Qualified applicants will be contacted for an interview. Selected applicants will be contacted by the coordinator of their acceptance and notified by Zoo Human Resources for further processing.
Interested applicants should visit https://www.zoomiami.org/internship for a detailed listing of opportunities.