Exploring Internship Opportunities at the Bronx Zoo: A Guide to Requirements and Programs

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is dedicated to fostering the next generation of conservation leaders and STEM professionals. A cornerstone of this mission is providing young people with meaningful career pathways. Each year, WCS offers various opportunities across its five parks, including the Bronx Zoo, to over 1,800 young adults aged 14 to 24. These opportunities encompass enrichment programs, volunteer positions, internships, and employment. WCS takes pride in being the largest employer of young adults in the Bronx, largely due to the numerous opportunities available at the Bronx Zoo.

The WCS Career Lattice: A Pathway to Conservation and STEM

The WCS Career Lattice serves as an integrated career pathway program. It is designed to equip young people with the skills, experience, and professional networks necessary for success in conservation and STEM fields. The program achieves this through:

Connecting local youth with career opportunities via strategic outreach and partnerships.
Developing their knowledge and skills through hands-on work experiences, professional development, and mentorship.
Advancing their careers with leadership training and tiered professional opportunities.

Project TRUE: Teens Researching Urban Ecology

Project TRUE (Teens Researching Urban Ecology) is a unique urban ecology research and youth development program. It is aimed at high school sophomores and juniors residing in the Bronx. The Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo Education team runs the program in partnership with Fordham University.

Hands-on Research Experience

During Project TRUE, high school interns engage in field research. The topics range from mammal species distribution and bird community composition to water quality and invasive species management. Interns learn by doing, utilizing various data collection and analysis methods to develop their science communication skills. They acquire the tools necessary to navigate the scientific process through an authentic field research project. Ultimately, they present their findings to peers, scientists, and the general public.

Eligibility and Program Details

To be eligible for Project TRUE, applicants must be high school sophomores or juniors in good standing. The program offers a unique opportunity to explore the wildlife and wild places of New York City while building a true community. Whether on the water, in the forests, or on rooftops, Project TRUE participants have fun exploring wildlife and wild places of New York City while building a true community. The summer program runs from June to August, but the learning doesn't end there. Small teams of high school students are paired with a Fordham University undergraduate student, who serves as a near-peer research mentor.

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Mentorship Training

The Mentoring Training Toolkit distills the lessons learned from years of training undergraduate students to be mentors into modules. Each module focuses on a key component of mentoring:

Mentoring Overview
Effective Communication
Youth Development
Conducting Research

Health Recommendations

While not mandatory, it is highly recommended that participants in these programs have an up-to-date TB test and current vaccinations for rabies, tetanus, and COVID.

Externship Programs at the Bronx Zoo

The Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS's) Zoological Health Program collaborates with several educational organizations. This collaboration allows their students to participate in Externship Programs on an ongoing basis.

Important Notice Regarding New Agreements

As of November 17, 2022, WCS's Zoological Health Programs decided not to enter into new externships, internships, placements, training, or similar agreements with any university, college, or other educational institution with which it didn't already have a pre-existing agreement or with which we will not be establishing an ongoing cooperation. However, WCS continues to accept externship applications using a WCS student agreement form. Before applying for an Externship with WCS, please confirm your eligibility by checking to see whether your educational institution requires a written agreement with WCS, since such a requirement will, if the agreement was submitted after this date, result in your ineligibility to participate in an Externship at WCS. The two foregoing sentences do not apply where a pre-existing written agreement exists between your educational institution and WCS or when use of the WCS student agreement form is sufficient.

Clinical Externships for Veterinary Students

WCS’s Clinical department offers four- to eight-week externships in zoological medicine and surgery for senior veterinary students. These externships are held at the Wildlife Health Center on the grounds of the Bronx Zoo. Students may also participate in clinical rotations at the Central Park, Queens, and Prospect Park zoos.

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Exposure to Diverse Clinical Cases

Externships provide students with exposure to a variety of clinical cases. These include fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and terrestrial and marine mammals. Students will observe all facets of wildlife health care, including:

Preventive medicine
Daily medical and surgical care
Clinical rounds
Anesthesia
Medical record-keeping
Quarantine procedures
Clinical pathology interpretation
Broader captive and free-ranging population conservation issues

Application Timeline

Applications are accepted for clinical year externships from July through October 31 of your JUNIOR year. These applications will then be reviewed and students will be notified of the results by the end of the current year.

Aquatic Animal Health Externships

WCS’s Aquatic Animal Health department offers three- to six-week externships (four-week preferable) in aquatic medicine, surgery, and pathology for senior veterinary students from AVMA-accredited veterinary schools. The externships take place at the Aquatic Animal Health Center at the New York Aquarium. Students will also spend time within the Water Quality Laboratory and with Animal Care teams.

Aquatic Healthcare Experience

Externships expose students to a variety of clinical cases including fish, elasmobranchs, penguins, and marine mammals. The students will observe all facets of aquatic health care, including preventive medicine, daily medical and surgical care, clinical rounds, anesthesia, quarantine procedures, water quality evaluation, clinical and anatomic pathology interpretation.

Veterinary Technician Externships

WCS’s Clinical department offers full-time, 16-week veterinary technician externships in Zoological Medicine and Surgery for senior veterinary technician students from accredited veterinary technician schools. The primary location of the externships is the Wildlife Health Center at the Bronx Zoo.

Comprehensive Veterinary Technical Skills

The externship exposes students to a great variety of clinical cases and laboratory samples from fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and terrestrial and marine mammals. Students will observe and participate in all facets of wildlife healthcare and associated veterinary technical skills-including preventive medicine, daily medical and surgical care, clinical rounds, anesthesia, medical record-keeping, quarantine procedures, and clinical laboratory analysis.

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