Category: Our Patients

Before applying, please view “Working at a wildlife rehabilitation Center: things you should know.“

Red Creek internships focus on training and education.

Applications Open May 15, 2024, and Close July 15th, 2024

Any college student interested in wildlife rehabilitation can apply for the Fall Internship position, which runs from Late August through December each year.

Start and end dates are flexible due to various college schedules. Students must commit to a weekly schedule that can vary from 4 to 6 hours per day,
1 to 2 days per week. We will do our best to work with your school schedule and supply the number of internship hours you need.

A fall internship is a volunteer internship. It is unpaid and does not include travel or accommodations. What it does offer is an intense hands-on experience with rehabilitating wildlife.

Because “baby season” comes to an end in the fall, expect the majority of hours in August and September.

Learning Opportunities:

• Knowledge of the missions of Red Creek Wildlife Center, Inc. and how our missions fit in with the larger picture of wildlife conservation and protection of public health.
• Knowledge of the regulations and laws associated with wildlife rehabilitation.
• Exposure to the operations of a wildlife rehabilitation center.
• Learn how to properly care for rehabilitation animals.
• How to deal with the public during stressful wildlife situations
• How to feed baby wild animals
• How to restrain birds of prey for treatment and exams
• How to administer fluids to birds and mammals
• How to complete a physical exam
• Interns will also be exposed to learning about various diseases, nutritional information, and understanding zoological milk formulas.

Responsibilities

Interns will be responsible for:

• • • Cleaning enclosures and caging, which may include raking, sweeping, and scrubbing.
    • Feeding and watering animals
    • Cleaning of the clinic and treatment areas.
    • Washing and disinfecting food and water bowls and caging.
    • Maintaining charts
    • Assisting staff with medical treatment and examinations of animals.
    • Identify potential health issues in animals and report these to staff.
    • Assist with intakes of new rehabilitation patients from the public, including imputing information into a database.
    • Assist with handling and enrichment for the education and foster animals.
    • Plus, any additional chores needed to maintain animals and facilities

     
    

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    First Name

    Last Name

    Age

    Email

    Phone that can receive texts

    Address

    City

    State

    Zip Code

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    References

    References must be school or employment related. Family members listed as references will not be accepted.

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    Reference #1

    Reference #1 Email

    Reference #1 Relationship

    Reference #1 Phone

    Reference #2

    Reference #2 Email

    Reference #2 Relationship

    Reference #2 Phone

    Current college enrollment

    Primary area of study

    This is a 13 week program. What are your approximate available dates?

    Start Date

    End Date

    The goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to release the animals back into the wild. Because of this, it is imperative that the animals remain wild and do not become habituated to people, including staff. Wildlife rehabilitation is a hands-off type of animal work and a professional distance must be maintained at all times.

    Question: Can I refrain from touching, holding and comforting an animal, even a cute baby animal?

    Yes

    Working in animal care at Red Creek Wildlife Center requires bending, kneeling and carrying buckets of water up to 30 pounds. Cages are cleaned and disinfected with simple green cleaner, dawn dishwashing liquid, bleach and nolvasan.

    Question: Can I meet the physical requirements of volunteering? Can I work around these chemicals?

    Yes

    Red Creek accepts all species of Pennsylvania wildlife except bear and adult deer. This includes animals often thought of as undesirable such as starlings, snakes, skunks, raccoons and coyotes.

    Question: Can I give good care to animals that I find undesirable, smelly or ugly?

    Yes

    Many animals presented for rehabilitation are carnivores. This means there will be dead animals that will be fed to carnivores. Red Creek has freezers of frozen mice, rats, hamsters, guinea pigs and baby chickens that are used for food. Most of these are thawed and fed whole, but occasionally it is necessary to process them prior to feeding (sectioning with scissors or skinning).

    Question: Am I comfortable with the idea that animals are fed to other animals?

    Yes

    Question: Can I prepare and process these to feed to the other animals.

    Yes

    Red Creek receives over 4,000 animals each year. Many of these animals come to us suffering severe injuries or illness. Some might not reach a level of health needed for release. These animals cannot be warehoused and the rehabilitator on duty may make the decision to euthanize the animal.

    Please note: Volunteers and interns will never be asked to euthanize an animal.

    Question: Can I remain emotionally distant and accept that euthanasia is a necessary and compassionate part of rehabilitation? Can I refrain from crying, begging, judging or becoming hostile with the rehabilitator?

    Yes

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