CAPE COD

treating injured, ill and orphaned wildlife

Wild Care Internship
WILD CARE, Inc. is a wildlife rehabilitation center located in Eastham (Cape Cod), Massachusetts.

Annually, WILD CARE admits between 900 and 1400 native wild creatures indigenous to Cape Cod, the Islands and southeastern Massachusetts for rehabilitation and orphan rearing. WILD CARE's staff includes State and Federally licensed rehabilitators, volunteer veterinarians, and a diverse group of volunteers representing every corner of the community. Interns receive training and gain experience in rehabilitation techniques, volunteer management, and public educational strategies utilized at WILD CARE.
(please click here to fill out the form below AND click here to download our easy to use internship  application.)

Applicants may contact WILD CARE at:

Address: 10 Smith Lane
Phone: (508) 240-2255
FAX: (508) 240-2268
Email: wild.care@verizon.net

What type of work do rehabilitators do? (As defined by the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association)

"The work that rehabilitators perform varies considerably. There is no typical description. Paid positions may involve some or all of the following: feeding baby mammals or birds, assisting with fluid therapy and bandaging, supervising volunteers, providing public presentations about animals and the environment, cleaning cages, maintaining data bases on animals and /or members, fundraising, capturing and transporting injured wild animals, talking with concerned citizens regarding animal and environmental related situations and more. Some people may consider the routine animal care repetitive and boring. Some may get discouraged by callers who do not share our concern and respect for wildlife or who do not believe our advice is the best for the animal. Some may not be able to handle emotional situations of the death and suffering seen in wild animals. There are many challenges."

There are many rewards in wildlife rehabilitation: helping wildlife, relieving suffering, working with people having similar interests and concerns, encouraging people to re-connect with nature through respect and understanding, responding to and relieving the concern of the public, and taking joy in releasing animals back to the natural world.

Internships in Wildlife Rehabilitation:

1) Positions are presently available in the program that runs from May through December. Maximum length is negotiable, contingent on performance, and is at the discretion of the director. At this time we are only reviewing applicants prepared to make a minimum six-week commitment. Applicants willing to make longer commitments have a better chance at favorable review.

2) Interns work under the direct supervision of the Director and in cooperation with other licensed staff and volunteers. Because WILD CARE treats wild animals, human contact is kept to a minimum, including visual contact and hands-on. Cameras are not permitted in the clinic. The extent of a student’s experience depends upon the type of situations presented by the animals admitted and the comfort level of the intern.

Eligibility:

1) Student must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in a related field of study: environmental science, biology, conservation or veterinary medicine.
2) Student must be available to work 5 days per week for the periods listed within the 18 week program. The third segment may be negotiable.
3) Tetanus immunization must be current. Rabies immunization is strongly recommended. For those not immunized against rabies, handling of mammals at WILD CARE will be kept at a minimum and to non-vector species. Proof of tetanus immunization must be provided prior to commencement of internship.

Compensation:

Interns committing to a 40 to 50 hour work-week will receive a weekly stipend of $100.00.

For interns not living in the Cape Cod area, WILD CARE maintains on-site housing at the Farm, as well as with a host family. WILD CARE provides the host with compensation for housing. The competitive pool for students in need of housing is so much larger than the pool of applicants with their own housing. Applicants must have their own vehicle for transportation.

Intern Responsibilities:

The following list pertains to all interns (*additional for summer interns). Again, there is no way to guarantee that every aspect will be covered, only that we will make every effort to touch on these aspects depending upon your length of stay and the situations presented by the admissions.
  1. Serve as a member of the medical and rehabilitative team.
  • Clean and disinfect indoor and outdoor habitats, aviaries, and cages.
  • Assist in the preparation of diets and feeding routines.
  • Assist in the care of injured and orphaned native wildlife by staff and volunteer veterinarians.
  • Aid in the diagnosis and treatment of wildlife diseases and injuries and to maintain records of such activities.
  • Assist in necropsies.
  • Participate in rescue and release procedures.
  1. Assist in labeling and record-keeping for participation in conservation research
    Answer telephones, greet the public in a professional manner, disseminate helpful information regarding wildlife.
  2. Assist in presentations. Programs are designed to inspire and motivate others toward the goals of WILD CARE.
  3. Assist with building and ground maintenance.
  4. *Work closely with the volunteers in the Baby Bird Program and Intensive Care Clinic, effectively organizing volunteers and delegating tasks.
Interns are required to keep a daily journal of their experience including such content as the species of animals admitted each day, notable phone calls and rescue stories, and general tidbits of information or observations. Students are required to hand in two week’s worth of daily entries in exchange for their stipend check on a bi-weekly basis. Before the last day of the internship, the complete journal will be reviewed by the Director, and a copy will be kept in the student’s permanent employment file at WILD CARE. Interns are also required to write a formal thank you letter generally addressed to donors and grantors who have made their experience possible through financial support. Failure to turn these two papers in will result in the inability of WILD CARE to serve as a future reference or to provide letters of recommendation.

As WILD CARE strives to provide the best rehabilitation care possible, we also play a significant role within the Cape Cod community as we deal with related community/environmental issues: mysterious animal deaths, epidemics in wildlife, cruel wildlife control issues, etc. We encourage intern involvement whenever possible.

WILD CARE will, whenever possible, work within the student's curriculum in conjunction with college personnel to develop research projects. However, in all aspects our first commitment is to the safety, welfare and dignity of our wildlife patients.

If you meet the eligibility requirements and are interested in an internship or volunteer position, please feel free to email WILD CARE, Inc with your completed application.
Submission of applications via email (rather than snail mail) is strongly encouraged.

TO BE COMPLETED BY INTERN APPLICANT:
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Have you received a rabies vaccination? If so, when?
Internships are presently available in 10-18 week blocks from May through December. WILD CARE's busiest season is May through September. Winter and Early Spring internships may be made available on an individual basis. Please check your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice below:
Availability:
4/1 to 7/1:
7/1 to 10/1:
10/1 to 1/1:
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