Zoo Jobs: Voluntary Primate Keeper Internship

Wild Futures’ Monkey Sanctuary

Voluntary Primate Keeper Internship

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jfgallery/3424907833/

This is a one-year long post, which is unpaid but for which you will be provided with shared accommodation and food. It is an exciting opportunity to develop a wide range of skills, working alongside an experienced team, with the chance to earn a recommendation from a highly respected primate sanctuary. There may be an option to take an NVQ in animal care, dependant on funding. All of which are assets to anyone passionate about pursuing a career in animal welfare and conservation. Selected candidates will be invited to visit the Sanctuary and be formally interviewed for this position and selected according to demonstrated ability to fulfil the following:

Primary responsibilities
You should be aware of and have a commitment to the aims of Wild Futures. You will work primarily with a small group of monkeys. This may be Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) and a patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas) or woolly monkeys (Lagothrix), depending on the needs of the groups at the time. You will be expected to learn to distinguish individual monkeys, their backgrounds and to show a sensitivity to them which indicates your suitability as a keeper. Over the course of the year, you will (under the supervision of experienced staff) become one of the monkeys' primary caregivers; cleaning, maintaining and enriching enclosures and preparing and distributing food and medication, whilst monitoring the health and well-being of the monkeys in your care. You will be responsible for maintaining daily up-to date information on the status and wellbeing of each individual through a computer database.

Other responsibilities
The Sanctuary is open to the public for six months of the year. You will need to learn about the monkeys and the ethos of the Sanctuary sufficiently, so you can talk to and educate visitors and run workshops. You should demonstrate confidence and willingness to do this.

You will also:

Be asked to supervise short-term volunteers on other cleaning routines, making enrichment and other tasks that are essential to the day to day running of the Sanctuary.

Be asked to assist with other work such as territory maintenance, grounds and gardening work, campaigns and computer work, as well as work in the shop, at the desk or in the café (especially during busy times), as the need arises.

Need to share responsibility for certain tasks with members of staff and other interns (such as cleaning the public toilets, cooking for the household and washing house laundry) via a rota system.

Be expected to develop and maintain good communications with all team members and evolve a co-operative living and working relationship with other members of the community. A monthly review process will enable you and the team to monitor your progress and mentor you through your internship.

Show that you can be flexible in your work, adapting to new situations as they arise and you will be able to prioritise work according to tasks you have been given (with monkey care always being the most important).

Be expected to work five full days a week and to be flexible about your days off.

You will have an allowance of thirty days annual leave over the course of your internship. Applicants must be UK or EU residents or have permission to work in the UK.

The next internship post potentially begins in January 2011. Please send a CV and letter of interest before 1st December 2010 to Healthcare/Internship, preferably via email. Please include a SAE if you apply by post.

healthcare@wildfutures.org

Healthcare/Internship
Wild Futures
The Monkey Sanctuary
Murrayton House
Looe
Cornwall

http://www.wildfutures.org/

Registered Charity no. 1102532