Position Title: Zookeeper Internship
Position Type: Intern
Organization Name: Riverside Discovery Center
Location (City, State): Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Job Description/Duties
Riverside Discovery Center offers a unique and exciting internship that helps participants gain professional animal care experience. RDC is an AZA accredited facility. We are a small facility but offer opportunities for interns that are hard to find elsewhere. One of the biggest is rotating through all animal areas while here, so by the end you've worked with all the animals at the Zoo instead of just a few species. We do not have specific start dates, but rather allow accepted interns to start at a date convenient to their schedule as long as they can complete the 10 week minimum internship from the agreed upon start date.
This is an unpaid internship opportunity wherein the intern will support the Animal Care Department.
Through this internship, interns will:
- Learn alongside professional animal care staff basic animal husbandry including cleaning exhibits, preparing food and enrichment activities, assisting with environmental enhancements, and general grounds maintenance.
- Learn formal and informal interpretive educational programs for guests and outreach audiences.
- Learn how to develop and implement animal enrichment programs.
- Learn and follow animal/keeper safety guidelines, operations, and polices.
- Develop a project to complete during the internship. (All interns are required to complete a project which will be discussed and designed with RDC staff. Projects may be focused on enrichment, education, training, or any other ideas related to the facility or animals).
- At the end of the internship, present a short summary of your project to RDC staff.
Qualifications or Skills Required
- Applicants must be enrolled in college or have already graduated.
- Must have experience working around animals.
- Must have strong communication skills.
- Must be able to engage with staff, other interns, and volunteers in a team environment.
- Must enjoy working outdoors in all weather conditions.
- Must be in good physical condition - able to stand for long periods of time, stoop, climb, and lift at least 75 pounds.
- Must have a current negative TB test and DPT vaccinated.
- Must have a current driver's license.
- Must provide proof of health insurance coverage, whether your own or under a parent/guardian.
- Strong preference will be given to those with a sincere desire to become an animal keeper.
Salary & Benefits
None
Contact Information/Instructions How to Apply
Please email resume, cover letter and references to the Zoo Director - Anthony Mason at amason@riversidediscoverycenter.org. Questions may also be directed to this email or 1-308-632-0056.