Wildlife Care Intern

Anderson Humane is currently accepting Wildlife Care internship applications for Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter 2024. Our internships are unpaid and require a commitment of at least 150 hours per season, around 15 – 30 hours per week. On-site housing and stipend are not provided.  

Wildlife Care Interns assist our wildlife staff in the caretaking of over 3,000 wildlife animals that Anderson rescues and rehabilitates each year. We believe experience is the best teacher. Interns are trained by our three licensed wildlife rehabilitators in the daily caretaking of our wildlife residents and the administrative and operational tasks of our wildlife department. Interns also observe and assist our rehabilitators as they triage incoming wildlife animals in need and provide routine medical care to recovering patients. Anderson interns spend their season rotating through five main wildlife areas (in South Elgin and Elburn, IL), spending about two weeks in each, developing a thorough, and well-rounded intern experience.  Prior animal care experience is helpful but not necessary.

Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Daily feeding of a variety of wildlife animals, newborns to adults.
• Keeping the wildlife areas clean and sanitized, as well as dishes and laundry duties.
• Assisting the public with and completing our wildlife animal intake process.
• Assisting staff with various “hands-on” wildlife care and medical duties and responsibilities which may include cases of illness and trauma.
• Performing supervised medical tasks such as fluid therapy, wound care, and injections.
• Assisting our Wildlife Allies Manager with wildlife rescues and humane wildlife animal exclusions from homes and public areas.
• Updating medical data and patient records into software database.
• Communicating patient status and/or concerns to Anderson’s Rehabilitation and Veterinary staff.
• Other duties and projects as assigned.

Our internship program seasons are structured as:  

• Spring: February – April 2024
• Summer: May – July 2024
• Fall: August – October 2024
• Winter: November 2024 – January 2025

Interns must select an option for their typical weekly schedule. These options are available strictly on a first-come first-serve basis and do fill up quickly.  

• Monday, Wednesday, Saturday
• Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday
• Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
• Monday, Thursday, Saturday
• Tuesday, Friday, Sunday
• Saturday, Sunday, Choice of weekday

Intern requirements: 

• Required attendance for an online program orientation and multiple in-person training sessions.
• Interns must be at least 16 years old.
• Pay the $30.00 Internship Fee which includes an Anderson Humane Intern tee and nametag.
• High comfort level learning new computer software; ability to enter data efficiently with accuracy.
• Physical ability and willingness to work with and handle wildlife (and domestic) animals of all temperaments and species; training is provided.
• Effective time management skills; can multi-task and redirect efforts when priorities change.
• Asks appropriate questions in an effort to gather pertinent information.
• Communicates clearly in verbal and written form; superior interpersonal communication skills exuding warmth and inclusion.
• Models professional behavior; remains calm and pleasant to diffuse stressful or high-emotion situations.

Work Environment:

• Willingness to accommodate animals in the workplace
• Exposure to animals and high noise levels
• potential exposure to zoonotic diseases, animal bites, and scratches
• Work may be performed outdoors with exposure to all weather conditions