Internships at Sunset Wildlife Connection

Join Sunset Wildlife Connection in its mission of animal education and wildlife conservation. Located near beautiful Pensacola Florida, you will work for a nonprofit exotic animal rescue and animal outreach program where you will develop your conservation education skills at our Wildlife Connection Encounters while also caring for exotic animals. Though you must be able to work with all of our different animals, you will get to tailor your internship to your interests whether it be animal training, reptiles, or education. 

•  Must be able to commit 12-18 hours a week (2-3 days a weeks: 6 hour shifts a day) with a 4-month commitment (Spring: Jan-Apr, Summer: May-Aug, Fall: Sept-Dec).
• Must be willing to work at least one outreach program a week, which may include weekends or holidays
• Must be able to work indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions that Florida has to offer including but not limited to: rain, heat, cold, wind, sun, humidity, and bugs
• Must be willing to care for and interact with all animals in our collection
• Must demonstrate enthusiasm and good judgement while working with children and event guests 
• Must demonstrate communication skills and be able to follow directions
• Be able to lift and carry at least 50 lbs., bend, kneel, and stand for long periods of time
• Must be in college, have a degree, or related experience to apply
• Experience working with animals is preferred but not required
• Must be punctual and display time management skills
• Must have reliable transportation and be able to navigate successfully to events and the facility

•  You will help care for all of the animal ambassadors at Sunset Wildlife Connection. 
• Assist our wildlife specialists in daily care of the animals including but not limited to: 
  • Daily cleaning of our mammals and reptiles. Follow the cleaning schedule including deep cleans of animal enclosures.
  • Diet preparation is a daily task here at SWC. Each animal has a specific diet and as animal caretakers and zookeepers, it is our job to ensure the animals are given the proper diet.
  • Enrichment- we do not want our animals getting bored and therefore need to enrich the animals with toys, food, handling, and outside time. 
  • Training- you will assist the wildlife specialists in daily animal training. Since these are ambassador animals, they need to be handled regularly and some even  enjoy snuggling or picture time. Some animals are also trained on veterinary procedures and fun training such as a “spin” and it will be part of your job to help maintain the behaviors. 
• Observe the animals and take note of any health or medical issues and be able to communicate it with your team leader. 
• Assist our wildlife specialists in our Wildlife Connection Encounters. Whether it’s a birthday party, petting-zoo, or online encounter, help our wildlife specialists to educate the community about animals, wildlife, and conservation.
  • Help our guests get closer to nature with our Wildlife Connection Encounters while handling or educating about our animal ambassadors. These are unique encounters where our guests get to meet live animals up-close and personal. Our Connections will educate them about each animal’s individual story, facts about the species, and how you can make a difference to help protect wild animals.
• Complete a special project about animal observation, a training project, research, an enrichment project, or something else you are passionate about.

· Critical zookeeping and animal caretaking skills

· Valuable education and communication skills

· Multitasking and time management skills

· Important animal diet information 

· How to care for exotic animals in captivity

· Public speaking and animal presentation skills

· How to work with a team of both people and animals

If you want to work with exotic animals in the beautiful, sunny state of Florida, please email your resume, cover letter, two letters of recommendation, and preferred internship term (Fall, Spring, or Summer and year) to SunsetWCinfo@gmail.com.

Will I can get to touch and handle the animals?

Yes, you will handle most if not all of our animals at one point during your internship.

Will I be paid?

No. At this time, this is an unpaid internship but you will gain valuable experience working as a zookeeper with a number of different species.

Will I be hired on at SWC after my internship?

Though it is not guaranteed, this internship does have the potential to become a job in the future.