Internship Positions Available
The Wilds offers professional training through formal internship programs in a wide variety of disciplines. In addition to those listed below, tailored internships are possible.
Overall Internship Requirements & Notes
- Must be affiliated with an accredited institution and enrolled for credit
- Must complete the appropriate application/interview process
- Must complete required pre-work training programs prior to interning
- Transportation is not available, a personal vehicle is strongly recommended
- Shared housing may be available at a reduced fee
- No compensation is currently available
INTERN OPPORTUNTIES
Conservation Medicine
SENIOR VETERINARY PRECEPTORSHIP
6 - 8 weeks in length (available year-round)
Requirements -- Must be a senior student; TB test/ Vaccinations:
rabies pre-exposure recommended.
Participation Focusing On -- Preventive medicine, disease surveillance,
field immobilization and capture techniques, conservation medicine and
various veterinary technician duties. A short-term project is encouraged.
Student will be under supervision of senior veterinarian and post-doctoral
veterinary fellow.
Application -- Send letter of intent, resume, and three references
(with contact #) to Dr. Barb Wolfe, Director, Conservation Medicine
at bwolfe@thewilds.org.
Animal Management, Husbandry & Health
GENERAL ANIMAL MANAGEMENT &
ASIATIC WILD ASS (ONAGER) REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY INTERNSHIP
Responsibilities
The intern will work at the Wilds from February 1st through
March 31st, 2008. This appointment is a joint internship through the
Smithsonian’s Conservation and Research Center and the Wilds.
The intern working in Ohio will be responsible for collecting urine
and fecal samples from female onagers housed at the Wilds in the mornings,
and work with animal management staff on various tasks during the remainder
of the day. He or she will assist animal management staff in day to
day operations, including feeding, cleaning, and routine procedures
with the center’s diverse animal collection. This will provide
an opportunity to interact with a variety of animals as well as the
animal management staff.
Desired Qualifications and Abilities
The intern must have an ability to work independently, and
be detail-oriented, efficient, responsible, and eager to learn. The
intern is expected to work at least 40 hours per week. A good work ethic
is a must as there will be some weeks where the workload is demanding.
The intern must have a strong interest in being a zoo keeper, or interest
in biological, animal, and/or environmental sciences. Previous experience
with horses or other large animals is also helpful as you will be interacting
with onagers five to six days per week.
A minimum of 2 years of undergraduate coursework in the aforementioned
fields is preferred.
Background on the Asiatic Wild Ass (Onager)
Onagers are more closely related to the domestic donkey than to domestic
horses. The Persian onager is endemic to Iran and the population has
now been reduced from thousands of animals tono more than 500 animals
remaining in the wild. Remaining populations are still threatened by
loss of habitat, poaching, competition with domestic livestock and the
detrimental effects of war and civil unrest. Furthermore, there are
fewer than 50 animals maintained in captivity in North America, and
only 22 reside in United States zoological institutions. Therefore,
maintaining a healthy population of onagers as an insurance collection
in captivity is critical for long-term survival of this species.
Assisted reproductive techniques such as artificial insemination (AI)
are now routinely used in the domestic horse to facilitate breeding
(genetic) management, but this success required decades of research
to understand the fundamental biology of both males and females. Successful
implementation of assisted reproductive technologies requires the sound
understanding of the reproductive physiology of both the male and female
onager.
Very little is known about the reproductive biology of this species.
Therefore, this project entails developing a sound understanding of
male and female physiology. In females, hormone patterns will be assessed
through assays of collected urine and feces as well as ultrasound examinations
of females housed at the Wilds.
Term of Appointment
The internship term is approximately 8 weeks from Februrary
1 through March 31st, 2008.
Stipend
Will not be provided
Housing
Will be provided
To Apply
Please email (preferred), fax, or mail the following materials
to:
Dr. Mandi Vick (vickm@si.edu)
Smithsonian National Zoo, Conservation and Research Center, 1500 Remount
Rd. Front Royal, VA 22630
Fax: (540) 635-6506
• Letter of intent
• Current resume or CV
• College transcript (unofficial or electronic version is acceptable)
• Contact information for two references, including their business
affiliation, city, state, phone number, and email address. Please also
indicate the nature of their relationship to you.
Animal Management, Husbandry & Health
ANIMAL MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP -- GENERAL
6-week minimum
Requirements
See above
Participation Focus
Animal husbandry, nutrition, records keeping, veterinary science,
management science, and conservation. Student will be under supervision
of Director of Animal Management and animal management staff.
To Apply
Send letter of intent and resume to Dan Beetem, Director of Animal Management
at dbeetem@thewilds.org or 740-638-5030 ext. 2110
Internship positions are available year-round, however, spaces for the summer season are limited. Students interested in being considered for a summer internship position should apply no later than March 14, 2008.
Restoration Ecology
RESTORATION ECOLOGY INTERNSHIP
Preferably 6-10 weeks in length (available year-round)
Requirements -- Must be in good physical shape and be willing to work in a variety of outdoor environments.
Participation Focusing On -- Plant communities and interactions, enhancement of habitat, insect and animal monitoring
Application -- Send letter of intent and resume to Dr. Nicole Cavender, Director of Restoration Ecology at ncavender@thewilds.org.
Conservation Education
EDUCATION INTERNSHIP
Preferably 10 – 15 weeks in length primarily summer but other seasons possible
Requirements -- Students and graduates of a school of Natural Resources, Wildlife Management, Forestry, Ecology, Zoology, Environmental Science, Nature Interpretation or related fields. Experience with teaching kids, camps, or biological fieldwork is desirable.
Participation Focusing On -- Lead interpretive programs, teach campers to appreciate the wild world, assist with wildlife research, conduct Wilds Safari tours, restore habitats, maintain trails and camp, or a host of other jobs.
Application -- Contact Al Parker, Conservation Educator at aparker@thewilds.org.
