Big Cat Internship Programs: A Path to Wildlife Conservation
For individuals passionate about wildlife conservation, particularly concerning majestic big cats, internship programs offer unparalleled opportunities. These programs provide hands-on experience in animal care, research, and sanctuary operations, fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by these magnificent creatures in captivity and the wild. This article explores several prominent big cat internship programs, highlighting their unique features, goals, and the valuable experiences they offer to aspiring conservationists.
Exotic Feline Rescue Center: Big Cat Research Week
The Exotic Feline Rescue Center (EFRC) in Center Point, Indiana, stands as a non-profit sanctuary dedicated to providing a safe and caring environment for abused, abandoned, and neglected exotic felines. Housing over 100 big cats, including tigers, lions, leopards, and cougars, the EFRC offers a unique learning experience through its Big Cat Research Week.
Program Overview
The Big Cat Research Week is designed for undergraduate-level students interested in researching ways to enhance the lives of the cats at the rescue. Open to individuals of any nationality aged 18 and over, the program is limited to a maximum of 10 participants. Participants are expected to be positive, attentive, fully engaged, and eager to learn.
Learning and Activities
During the program, participants will:
- Learn enrichment design and animal welfare assessment.
- Perform behavioral observations and ethograms.
- See up-close how the sanctuary cares for these big cats each day.
- Earn 40 research hours supervised by a veterinarian.
Students will learn about the cats’ behavior, habitats, and the challenges they face in captivity. The program emphasizes research methods and data collection related to big cats in captivity, providing valuable skills for those interested in pursuing careers in animal care, conservation, or related fields. Note: This is NOT a veterinary medicine program. Students will earn research hours under the supervision of the EFRC staff and Loop Abroad Teaching Veterinarian.
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Schedule and Logistics
The program is offered during the summer, with sessions typically lasting one week. Housing consists of simple, shared rooms, and meals include breakfast each morning and lunches Monday to Friday. The program starts with a welcome dinner on Sunday evening.
Academic Credit
Participants can receive 1 credit from the University of Findlay for this program. Loop Abroad can also assist in working to get credit directly from your school. A certificate for 30 service hours is awarded upon program completion. Participants can estimate 10 veterinary hours, 8 animal hours, and 10 research hours.
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge: Animal Care Internship
Located in NW Arkansas, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR) is committed to rescuing big cats from abuse, neglect, or abandonment situations. The refuge provides a lifelong home and sanctuary for rescued animals, offering state-of-the-art veterinary care and optimal animal welfare.
Internship Focus
The Animal Care Internship at TCWR focuses on providing hands-on experience in animal care and sanctuary operations. Interns contribute directly to the animals’ well-being while gaining insight into the broader issues of wildlife captivity.
Responsibilities
Interns are responsible for:
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- Daily care of tigers, lions, cougars, black bears, a grizzly bear, a Russian brown bear, leopards, African servals, bobcats, and a hyena.
- Preparing and presenting information to the public through guided tours.
- Maintaining animal housing and ensuring customer safety.
- Preparing diets and monitoring feeding, considering specific dietary needs.
- Monitoring and maintaining animal health, including administering medications.
- Assisting in restraining and moving animals.
- Helping design and construct enclosures.
Requirements
Applicants must be self-motivated, with a high desire to provide the best care available to animals. They must be observant, able to keep detailed records, and capable of working in a team environment or independently.
Great Cats World Park: Summer Internship Program
Great Cats World Park offers a Summer Internship Program that provides invaluable real-world experience for students and young professionals seeking entry-level experience with exotic husbandry, particularly big cat management.
Program Goals
The program aims to provide participants with basic working knowledge of professional animal care as it relates to cats. Training includes:
- USDA standards and regulations
- Basic feline husbandry
- Feline nutrition and diet preparation
- Enrichment for exotic felines
- Safety protocol
- Public speaking and guest relations
- Breeding exotic felines
- Captive feline behavior
- Zoonotic disease
- Animal health assessment
- Enclosure design
Privileges and Responsibilities
Interns may be asked to observe and/or participate in medical procedures, handling and training, and bottle feeding and rearing of cubs, depending on performance and staffing availability. They also play an integral role as tour guides, providing interactive guided tours to visitors.
Ideal Candidates
Successful candidates are well-groomed, articulate, polite, and knowledgeable. Preference is given to those able to commit for the entire summer season, beginning mid-May and ending in August.
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Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary: Internship Program
Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary, a non-profit organization, offers an internship program that provides college students with the opportunity to learn about the care of big cats.
Program Focus
Interns volunteer their time and gain knowledge and experience to help guide them in their future careers. The sanctuary focuses on educating the public about the plight of these animals in the wild and the dangers of owning exotic animals as pets.
Sanctuary Practices
Catty Shack Ranch follows a no breeding, no selling, no trading, and no buying policy to ensure every animal has a loving home for life.
Safe Haven Wildlife Sanctuary: Big Cat Internships
Safe Haven Wildlife Sanctuary offers six-month animal keeper internship positions, providing lifelong care to surrendered and confiscated exotics, including tigers, African lions, bears, mountain lions, and small wild felids.
Responsibilities
Interns are responsible for:
- Daily animal husbandry, medications, species-specific diets, and supplementations.
- Daily animal feedings.
- Habitat and den cleaning.
- Assisting in safe capture procedures.
- Participating in emergency training and evacuation drills.
- Providing animal enrichment.
- Providing informal educational tours to the public.
- Assisting in lifting and positioning sedated animals during on-site veterinary exams.
Requirements
Applicants must be 18 years or older, preferably students working toward a degree in animal science, zoology, biology, or environmental sciences. They must be self-motivated, hard-working, and able to work with other interns and staff.
Compensation and Benefits
This is an unpaid position, offering practical conservation experience and the opportunity to work with big cats.
GVI Experiences: Big Cat Conservation and Wildlife Research
GVI Experiences offers programs in South Africa that provide practical on-the-ground experience in big cat conservation, wildlife research, animal tracking, and telemetry.
Program Overview
Participants can get practical on-the-ground experience in big cat conservation, wildlife research, animal tracking and telemetry.
Alumni Network
GVI connects participants with a network of alumni who can answer questions and share their experiences.
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