Mammal Department Keeper Internships

Zoo Atlanta's Mammal Department plays an integral role in the Zoo's mission by providing informative, educational and engaging experiences; being respectful and responsible stewards of animals and the physical and financial assets entrusted to us; and engaging in related conservation activities and research.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: This voluntary internship program provides qualified individuals with professional experience in the daily care of the department's animals and the opportunity to support animal care staff. The main role of interns, regardless of the season, is to work with animal care staff to keep areas clean, thus helping contribute to the welfare of the animals. Animal contact is not guaranteed to any intern and depending upon the area in which the intern is assigned, animal contact may be prohibited.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Mammal department interns are supervised by animal care staff within the department. In addition to assisting with cleaning, some interns may have the opportunity to be involved with public presentations, diet preparation, animal feeding and special projects, including the creation and implementation of enrichment items. Interns in the Mammal Department will be exposed to a wide variety of species, such hoofstock, elephants, and large carnivores, and should be comfortable working around these species. Assignments and opportunities that are available to a Mammal Department intern are based on individual progress during the internship.

• Provide support to Mammal Department staff

• Enhance productivity and efficiency of the Mammal Department team

• Allow qualified individuals the opportunity to gain professional experience as a keeper intern at a world-class zoological facility

• Provide an opportunity to gain a strong understanding of potential careers in animal husbandry, training and conservation education.

• Must be 18 years of age or older (Upper Classman and recent college graduates are preferred)

• Must be able to work 24-32 hours/week

• Must be able to work approximately 8 hours per day on assigned days

• Must be able to work quietly, efficiently and safely around live animals

• Must provide proof of negative TB test and be willing to submit to a background check

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Must be able to be on your feet for up to 4 hours at a time and lift up to 30 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Must be able to work indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions.

Zoo Atlanta is open to the public 363 days out of the year, therefore, all positions at Zoo Atlanta may require employees and interns to work some weekends, holidays, and evenings.

Directions: A limited number of internships will be available in each area and the internships will be filled with the most qualified individuals. The areas that are available for internships are:

Carnivores (large and small meat-eating carnivores, giant pandas and red panda)

Or

Hoofstock

Complete Online Application then Email Cover letter, resume, and 2 letters of recommendation to internship@zooatlanta.org. The internship you are applying for needs to be in the subject line of the email.

• Cover letter must include:

1. Term for which you are applying and which of the 3 mammal departments you are applying to. (You may only choose 1.)

2. Why you are applying for this internship

3. What makes you a good candidate for this internship

4. If you are applying to multiple departments for internships at Zoo Atlanta. If so, please indict your top choice.

• 2 letters of recommendation may be submitted by the applicant or the reference; however, the applicant’s name should appear in the subject line of the email.

• Submit all required documents as one PDF or Microsoft Word file. (Letters of reference being sent directly from the reference are the only exception)

• Complete applications must be submitted by 4:00PM on the day of the application deadline; Spring 2019 deadline: Nov. 2nd, 2018; Summer 2019 deadline: Feb. 22nd , 2019; Fall 2019 deadline: July 12th, 2019

• You will need to contact your college/university advisor to determine if our program qualifies for credit at your institution

• We make every effort to support additional projects your advisor requires in order to receive credit and are happy to discuss modifications of our program with your advisor

• Any paperwork, including project terms, evaluations, minimum hours, or any other requirements must be submitted upon acceptance into the program, no later than 2 weeks prior to the term start date.

• No preferential treatment will be granted to interns earning credit over interns not earning credit.

All submitted applications will be reviewed by the Manager of Volunteer Programs. Complete applications from applicants who have followed all directions will be sent onto internship departments for review and potential phone interviews. Applicants who do not follow directions will not be considered for internships.