Wildlife Rehabilitation Intern

The Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV) is a non-profit teaching and referral hospital for native Virginia wildlife. Our mission and passion is to teach the world to care about and to care for wildlife and the environment. Founded in 1982, WCV has provided care to more than 80,000 sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals representing over 200 species. Our goal is to release patients back into their natural habitats. At any time, there may be anywhere from 80 to 250 animals on the premises.

               WCV is one of the leading teaching hospitals in the country and has trained students from around the world in wildlife medicine and rehabilitation. Our Wildlife Rehabilitation Internship is a one-year advanced training program in wildlife rehabilitation beginning Friday, January 17, 2020 and ending Friday, February 12, 2021. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Intern is directly supervised by the Center’s three certified and permitted Wildlife Rehabilitators.

Through this program, the intern will:

·  Gain intensive, hands-on training and experience in the field of wildlife rehabilitation focusing on animal nutrition, husbandry, feeding techniques, capture and restraint methods, release criteria, captive animal behaviors, and natural history.

·  Learn medical skills from staff veterinarians, such as bandaging, medical math, fluid therapy, zoonotic diseases, and other subjects pertinent to wildlife rehabilitation.

·  Develop leadership and mentorship qualities by training and supervising new rehabilitation externs, animal care volunteers, and community service volunteers.

·  Receive public relations training in wildlife hotline management.

·  Develop public speaking skills through delivering didactic lectures and teaching developed courses to externship students, veterinary students, volunteers, and wildlife rehabilitators.

·  Have the opportunity to teach a course at the Wildlife Center’s annual Call of the Wild conference.

·  Provide support during WCV’s annual Gala and Benefit Auction.

·  Sit for the IWRC’s Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator (CWR) certification exam.

1.   Provide excellent rehabilitative care to all animals at the facility.

a.      Daily cleaning and feeding of all animals housed at the facility.

b.      Assist with evaluating patients for release.

c.      Monitor patients’ health, attitude, appetite, etc., and maintain written records of each animal’s progress. Report evaluations to wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians and participate in daily clinical rounds with veterinary staff to discuss medical cases.

d.      Exercise all flighted raptors daily and record progress in patient record.

e.      Assist with restraint, examination, diagnostic procedures, and treatment of animals, as needed.

f.       Admit patients and complete associated paperwork. May also examine and initiate first aid to patients or new arrivals in the absence of the veterinarian or technician, within constraints of training and experience.

g.      Must be able to handle all emotional aspects of euthanasia.

h.      Maintain high standards of cleanliness in hospital, kitchen, and animal housing areas.

2.   Training

a.      With rehabilitation staff, lead orientation sessions, develop training plans, train and mentor wildlife rehabilitation externs and animal care volunteers.

b.      Assist with teaching rehabilitation and caretaking protocols to veterinary and veterinary technician students.

c.      Teach developed courses to wildlife rehabilitators and veterinary professionals through the Center’s Wildlife Care Academy.

d.      Have the opportunity to teach a course at the Center’s annual Call of the Wild conference.

3.   House Leader for Student House

a.      Check-in new wildlife rehabilitation externs and coordinate room assignment with the Diagnostic Intern.

b.      Conduct a walkthrough with wildlife rehabilitation externs prior to check-out.

c.      Assign chores to new wildlife rehabilitation externs and ensure all chores are successfully completed weekly.

d.      Report any housing concerns to the Hospital Director.

e.      May help to arrange transport for wildlife rehabilitation externs flying into Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport or Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport between 9am and 5pm.

4.   Other Duties

a.      Act as primary on-call for the after-hours phone one to two nights per week, as needed.

b.      Daily and seasonal maintenance of cages, grounds, perches, etc. Recognize and correct any maintenance or safety hazards when possible. Report any problems to supervisor or Hospital Director.

c.      Research a topic related to wildlife rehabilitation and present information to staff. Written papers may be submitted for publication in a wildlife rehabilitation journal.

d.      Other duties, responsibilities, and special projects as requested.

·  Must have at least one year of prior wildlife handling experience.

·  Must have pre-exposure rabies vaccination or valid titer within two years of start date.

·  Must have a valid driver’s license.

·  Associates or Bachelor’s degree preferred.

·  Intern will be scheduled to work 4 days a week with three consecutive days off during the week. A typical day consists of working at least 10 hours. Weekend and holiday work required.

·  Demonstrated ability to handle diverse and competing tasks independently, efficiently, and accurately; flexibility is a must.

·  Must be even-tempered and diplomatic.

·  Demonstrated reliability and dependability.

·  Ability to organize, set goals, and meet deadlines; attention to detail is necessary.

·  Team player with strong interpersonal and communication skills.

·  Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

·  Professional appearance and demeanor; ability to interact and communicate with the public, law enforcement, veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators, and others.

·  Ability to lift/carry equipment and animals up to 50lbs.

·  Intern will receive a stipend of $900.00 per month, before taxes, in financial aid for living expenses.

·  Free housing is provided at WCV’s Student House (shared room with Diagnostic Intern, with shared housekeeping responsibilities among all students living in house).

·  WCV will provide vehicles for work-related trips.

·  WCV will reimburse the IWRC’s Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator (CWR) test fee if a passing score is obtained.

Please email cover letter, resume, and three references by December 16, 2019 to:

               

Kelsey Pleasants, CWR

Wildlife Rehabilitator