ANIMAL ADVENTURE PARK INTERN PROGRAM 2023

Animal Adventure Park is a ZAA accredited interactive educational zoological facility that is open May – December, with peak season and standard operations being May – October. 
Throughout this time during the year, our park becomes a booming hub of action, interaction, and education - with guests visiting from all corners of the world. 

Animal Adventure Park prides itself on providing our guests with educational experiences through animal interactions. With this approach, our guests are not merely visiting our facility, they become involved in our facility, by being allowed the opportunity to remain up close and personal with our animal ambassadors. 

This season Animal Adventure Park would like to extend our reach beyond educating our guests, and provide educational experiences to students who have a deep interest in becoming zoo professionals. Our facility would like to open its doors to outstanding upcoming professionals that share in our passion for animals, as well as our passion for educating our guests. 

We would like to begin our season offering fifteen openings for professional internships with four main rotations all interns can expect to take part in:

1. Education/Outreach: This rotation will encompass caring for our children’s zoo animals, as well as the education animals, which include mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. The intern in this area will have the opportunity to learn from our keeper staff not only how to care for these animals on a daily basis, but also be directly involved with educating our guests during offsite and onsite shows, as well as our up-close animal encounters. 
2. Africa/Giraffe: This rotation would follow close with our main Giraffe keepers. Providing care for our two giraffe barns housing our 4 giraffes we have at the facility. This intern will also get to care for a variety of other African mammals that our giraffe keepers also care for. 
3. The Americas: This rotation will include carnivore species, hoof stock, birds and primate species throughout the park. If you are interested in becoming well rounded with a variety of species and if you love enrichment this is the place for you! 
4. Asia and Australia: This rotation would include our macropods, several mammal species, and birds. Another opportunity to become well rounded with several different species. 

Experience you can expect to gain while interning:

Learning safety procedures, diet preparation/nutrition, animal management, behavioral observation, enrichment techniques/implementation, record keeping, and assisting with exhibit maintenance. 

Interns will also be educated on proper delivery of formal and informal public presentations that keep guests interested, engaged, and intrigued by animals and the message being delivered. Providing our guests with a deeper connection to our animals, results in interest in their wild counterparts and conservation efforts. This will be a large part of your internships at our facility; guest experience and involvement is one of our top priorities. 

Each intern will be expected to perform daily keeper chats throughout the zoo during their internship. As well as make an approved enrichment item for an animal of their choosing. You will have the opportunity to work hands on with our keepers and side by side with management staff to learn training and enrichment techniques, and many other “tricks of the trade.”

Interns will be expected to:
- Maintain a safe environment for both animals and guests, maintain clean and sanitary work areas, and keeper spaces. 

-Adhere to all Animal Adventure Park rules, policies, and procedures, and function as an integral team member of the department and park.

While on site for work each intern will approach guests in a confident and friendly manner, while spreading the mission of Animal Adventure Park, enriching their experience with knowledge of the park and our animals. 

REQUIREMENTS

1. Outgoing, approachable and positive attitude
2. Individuals must be 18 years of age or older
3. Working on (or completed) a degree in Bio, Zoology, or other wildlife related field
4. Public speaking or performance experience preferred
5. Must be able to lift and move up to fifty (50) pounds
6. Must be available to work 40 hours per week including weekends, and holidays
7. Must be able to work while exposed to outdoor weather conditions
8. Must be able to remain active and on their feet for long lengths of time.

OTHER RELEVANT INFO

1. Candidates seeking academic credit must have arrangements agreed upon between AAP and their institution before beginning the internship.
2. All offers are contingent on the successful completion of a criminal background screening and execution of a required hold harmless/liability release agreement, and non-disclosure & confidentiality agreement.
3. Interns must have personal health insurance coverage for illness or injury.
4. At a minimum; Internships will begin June 1st, 2022 and end August 1st 2022. All candidates must commit to this schedule and be available to work a regular 40-hour work week including holidays and weekends. If a candidate would like to begin before June 1st, or stay past August 1st arrangements can be made.

All qualified applicants; please submit a resume and cover letter to be reviewed by park managements and ownership for consideration.

Please have all resumes submitted by April 1st.

Send to Curator of Parks: Erin Sarandis     curator@theanimaladventurepark.com

If you are a candidate for our internship program you will be contacted for an interview. 

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Thank You for taking an interest in joining our team.
We look forward to working with you in our 2023 season!