Captive Wild Animal Management Adviser (Voluntary)

Captive Wild Animal Management Adviser (Voluntary)

Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Centre (HWRC)

Hanoi, Vietnam

Job Description- Captive Wild Animal Management Adviser

Job Title: Captive Wild Animal Management Adviser (Voluntary)

Location: Hanoi, Vietnam

Period: 3 months

This is a voluntary appointment to be made in agreement with your current employer entering into a partnership with the stakeholders listed below to deliver the aims of the programme. Your employer’s contribution to this programme will be your time

Stakeholders: Hanoi Zoo, Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Centre, Animals Asia, Change for Animals Foundation, Wild Welfare

Proposed start date: As available

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Centre (HWRC) is a government-run wildlife rescue centre located about 40 Km outside Hanoi, and serves as a housing facility for animals confiscated from the wildlife trade. The daily operations (feeding, cleaning, etc.) are conducted by a team of local staff. The centre houses a large number, and variety, of wild animals, including: tigers, Asiatic Black bears, macaques, porcupines, various species of reptiles, civet cats, slow lorises, gibbons, etc.

Concerns:

There are significant concerns for the welfare of the animals housed in HWRC, currently the staff are not qualified to provide appropriate care to meet many of the needs of the large number, and variety, of wild animals – the animals are kept in inappropriate cages, with little or no enrichment and in some cases fed an inappropriate/ inadequate diet, resulting in poor psychological and physical states.  Animals Asia have an agreement with HWRC to work together to improve the welfare of the animals housed at the rescue centre.

Hanoi Zoo is a government-run zoo located in central Hanoi. Animals Asia has developed a positive relationship with Hanoi Zoo and have an agreement to improve the welfare of animals kept at the Zoo. In September 2013, Animals Asia, Change for Animals and Hanoi Zoo collaborated to organise the first ‘Shape of Enrichment’ workshop in Vietnam, delivered by Shape of Enrichment and Active Environments. A number of Captive wild animal management experts have volunteered their time at Hanoi zoo since April 2014 and significant improvements have already been achieved, but there is scope for much more. It is hoped that Hanoi Zoo could serve as a ‘model’ for how other collaborative relationships can be built and improvements for animals can be made that can be used to implement management procedures that meet the needs of captive wild animals, at other facilities housing wildlife throughout Vietnam.

2. OVERALL JOB PURPOSE:

To work as a consultant in Hanoi to develop and ensure the implementation of practical and sustainable improvements in animal management at HWRC and Hanoi Zoo through the provision of on-site training.

3. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

To work in collaboration with the staff at HWRC and Hanoi Zoo, with support from Animals Asia and Wild Welfare and Change for Animals Foundation, to:

• Review existing animal management and husbandry protocols.

• Continue the work of previous ‘Captive Wild Animal Management Experts’ to develop improved animal management and husbandry protocols using a participatory approach; including enrichment calendars, feeding calendars to ensure varied and appropriate/ adequate diets for the various species, etc.

• Provide staff training on animal management and husbandry to improve captive animal welfare;

• Provide advice and support on the protocols for how the animals at HWRC are managed - e.g. protocols for animals suitable for re-release.

• Ensure agreed changes are understood by the staff and can be implemented beyond the scope of the programme.

• Advise on how modifications to existing buildings/ cages can be made inexpensively/ how existing buildings can be best used to improve the welfare of the animals housed within them.

4. PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualification/ Education/ Knowledge:

• Employed within a captive wild animal facility  (Essential)

• Degree in relevant subject (Desirable)

Experience:

• Experience in working in a captive wild animal facility  (E)

• Experience in working in a wildlife rehabilitation centre (D)

• Proven experience and expertise in enrichment and animal management (E)

• Experience of working in or with charity/NGO/voluntary sector  (D)

• Experience of working internationally or on projects with international application, (D)

Abilities/ Skills:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills (E)

• Experience of hosting/ facilitating workshops (D)

• Ability to work in partnership with key stakeholders and sustain strategic partnerships (E)

• Ability to effectively manage staff and physical resources (E)

• Circumstances, Ability to reside in Hanoi for the duration of the posting.

• Full support of employer to take on this three month role, (E)

 5. COSTS 

The travel costs to and from Hanoi must be met by you / or your employer

All other expenses with regards to travel in Hanoi, food and accommodation will be met by the stakeholders.

For further details and/or to send an application letter please write to David Neale at  dneale@animalsasia.org

Opportunities are year round.

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Technical Advisor - Free the Bears

Technical Advisor

Free the Bears

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Start Date: January 2015 or as soon as possible thereafter

Duration of Contract: One year renewable contract, with expectation to extend based upon performance and funding availability

Probation Period: Three months

Benefits: For successful candidates, benefits apply as follows:

• Four (4) weeks annual leave entitlement per calendar year

• Twelve (12) National Holidays per calendar year

• Annual return flight to country of residence following completion of one year service (where applicable)

• Medical evacuation & in-patient health insurance

• Accommodation in Luang Prabang

Location: Luang Prabang, with visits to other sites in Laos, plus other focal countries when required

Working Hours: This is a full-time position, working 40 hours per week

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Technical Advisor

Department: Laos Programme

Responsible to: Laos Programme Manager

Responsible for: Sanctuary staff

Purpose: To build the capacity of the local keeping staff in order to attain best levels of care for rescued bears. To create a volunteer programme to continue the drive of the sanctuary to become sustainable.

Main Duties: Under the supervision of the Laos Programme Manager, the Technical Advisor will be expected to operate under the following guidelines:

Main duties

• Maintain records of enrichment and other supplies used on a monthly basis, carrying out frequent stock checks

• Assist in enclosure design and implementation

• Keep accurate animal keeping records

Animal Husbandry

• Work in conjunction with all staff to maintain the highest levels of husbandry for the bears at TKSBRC

• Ensure local staff are trained in positive reinforcement of bears for medical and husbandry management

• Continue to develop and implement the enrichment programme

• Control the monthly diet and husbandry of rescued bears

• Work alongside local keepers to monitor bears health and behaviours

• Oversee the social interactions of groups of bears

• Coordinate the enrichment programme for the bears at the rescue centre

• Monitor the progress and development of any bear cubs ensuring that information is passed to LPM on a regular basis

Volunteer Programme

• Arrange reservations for all participants of the Volunteer Programme and Research Programme

• Provide a focal point for short-term volunteers with regards to questions, activities and any other issues that may arise

• Organise volunteer memberships and volunteer rewards with other Free the Bears departments

Administration & Capacity Building

• Assist with all aspects of the monthly accounting ensuring reports are submitted in a timely manner

• When required, and in line with the objective of transferring skills to local staff, employee is expected to assist the local staff in

the following administration duties of their role at TKSBRC:

o Electronic mail enquiries

o Finalising monthly budgets

o Monthly progress report for TKSBRC

Education & Awareness

• When required, and in line with the objective of transferring skills to local staff, employee is responsible for ensuring the

following tasks are completed:

o Assisting with group visits to TKSBRC

o Assist the Education Programme staff with monthly reporting

Fundraising & Donations

• Sourcing donated materials required for care of the bears at the TKSBRC

• In line with the sponsorship packages of Free the Bears, collate information on sponsored bears

• Greet any Free the Bears Supporters or Members who wish to visit the sanctuary and provide a guided tour

Required Outputs

• Demonstrated capacity-building of Tat Kuang Si Rescue Centre staff bringing improved levels of care and management of the

bear population and the centre as a whole

• Successful implementation of Standard Operating Policies and other organisational protocols

• Growth in the Visitor programmes

• Regular reports received in a timely and professional manner

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications, consisting of a cover letter in English explaining why you feel you should be considered for this post, a full CV in English and contact details for two referees should be submitted to vacancy@freethebears.org

Please mark your application ‘Application: Technical Advisor’ and indicate in your covering letter where you saw this position advertised.

The closing date for applications is 16 January 2015 with interviews being conducted in the following weeks. Candidates selected for interview will be contacted by email or telephone by 23 January 2015 – please specify your preferred method of contact in your covering letter.

Regrettably, due to limited resources and the high number of applications we receive, we are only able to contact short-listed candidates. If you do not hear from us within one week of the closing date, please assume that you have not been successful on this occasion.

More information HERE