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Care Internship FAQ
Animal Care Internship FAQ
1) What is
the area like?
2) What kind
of weather should I expect?
3) What should
I bring?
4) Are there
any venomous reptiles in the area?
5) How many
Interns work at WRR?
6) Will I
need a car?
7) What are
the accommodations? Does WRR provide food?
8) How soon
before my start date can I move in?
9) Do Interns
socialize outside of work?
10) What
will my schedule be like?
11) How many
days off per week do Interns receive? Can the days off be
together? Can I leave the property on my days off?
12) How many
hours per week will I work?
13) What type
of training will be provided and when?
14) Do all Interns
receive the same training?
15) Will I be
able to work with the Veterinarian?
16) Will I be
involved with educational work? Releases? Enrichment?
17) Is there
anything I should do before my arrival?
1) What is the
area like?
The Sanctuary is located in what is considered
to be one of the most scenic areas of Texas, the Texas Hill
Country. The area is filled with rolling hills, creeks, and
rivers. There are many cypress trees along the banks of the
rivers and creeks, and the soil is generally rocky. Juniper,
hackberry, and oak trees are found throughout the Hill Country.
There are many caverns and caves in the area, as well as several
state parks. During late winter and early spring the area
tends to be quite green, and in the spring, wildflowers bloom
along the roads. In summer and fall the area becomes less
hospitable due to the temperatures and humidity, and the area
is not as lush and green. There are several websites
out there about the Texas Hill Country that may be of interest
to you if you would like to learn more about the area.
2) What kind
of weather should I expect?
South Central Texas weather, especially in
the Hill Country, can be unpredictable. In general, winter
is wet and chilly (temperatures may reach the freezing point
but rarely go far below it). Spring is wet and mild, and summer
is hot and humid (temperatures are in the upper 90s from approximately
late June to mid-September, with high humidity). The area
can be prone to flash flooding in the summer and has the possibility
of ice storms in the winter.
3) What should
I bring?
One of the most important things to be sure
to bring is comfortable footwear. A good pair of sneakers
for inside the clinic and a comfortable pair of waterproof
boots when working outside is advisable. Rain gear is also
important when working outside in wet conditions. For the
summer, sturdy shorts are an important item to have —
khakis or something similar are ideal, mid-thigh length for
adequate protection. For the winter months it is vital to
have warm clothes — long-sleeved shirts, coats, warm
socks, gloves and hats. Please keep in mind that with the
nature of the work, your clothes and shoes will become dirty
or damaged, so try not to buy expensive items if possible.
Aside from clothing, you will need a large water bottle (particularly
in summer) to keep hydrated, sunblock or sunscreen, and insect
repellent and ointment (please do not use ones with a lot
of chemicals — they can harm the animals and the environment).
It is also a good idea to bring your own personal flashlight.
Many people also bring their camera, binoculars, Texas bird/mammal/reptile
ID books, maps of San Antonio, CD player/radio, and TV/DVD.
4) Are there
any venomous reptiles in the area?
This area of Texas is home to four venomous
species of snakes: copperhead, cottonmouth (also called water
moccasin), rattlesnake, and coral snake. All of these species
are very shy and we do not see many of them, however it is
possible that we may receive a call regarding one of them
in trouble and need to respond. It would be a good idea to
do some research on these four species before you arrive and
learn to properly identify them.
There are some insects you should be aware
of that you might meet while you are here. Fire ants have
invaded Texas and are all over this area; once you meet them
you won’t forget them. There are also chiggers (or "red
bugs"), which are tiny red insects (dozens can fit on
the eraser of a pencil) that burrow under the skin and cause
irritation and itchiness.
Scorpions and tarantulas are native to the
area. Tarantulas are quite shy and while you are here you
probably won't see any. Scorpions have been found throughout
the property, inside and outside. They prefer dark areas so
it is a good idea to check anything you put on the floor,
in cabinets, or in closets before using it (shoes, laundry,
dishes, towels, etc.) and wear footwear in your house. If
you find any scorpions in your house, do not kill them. You
can easily transfer them outside without having to touch them
and risk being stung. Any other arthropods must be treated
with similar care. Spiders, centipedes, wasps, and more are
all part of our native ecosystem and will be respected.
5) How many
Interns work at WRR?
The number of Interns varies from season to
season. The greatest need for extra help is during baby season.
During that time (May through September) there are up to 21
Interns working with us; these include a limited number of
summer positions in combination with other Interns staying
for 6-month or 1-year positions. During fall and winter, we
have a lesser need for Interns and reduce the number to between
12 to 15 people.
6) Will I need
a car?
WRR is located on 187 acres approximately 5
minutes outside of Kendalia, Texas. Kendalia is a very small
town with a General Store that incorporates a restaurant,
store, post office, and video rental into one building, so
extremely basic needs can be taken care of there. Blanco is
the next closest town; it is about 20 minutes away with several
small businesses (grocery, post office, restaurants, gas stations).
Boerne is approximately 35 minutes away and provides fast
food restaurants, shopping, and grocery chain store, and San
Antonio is approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour away from the
sanctuary. There is no public transportation where the sanctuary
is located and a vehicle is strongly recommended whenever
possible. However, if you will not have a vehicle while you
are here there are many opportunities for obtaining a ride
with someone else to do your shopping.
7) What are
the accommodations? Does WRR provide food?
Interns live in mobile homes located on our
property. Each home has three bedrooms, two of which are shared
and one is a single room. There are two shared baths in each
home. The kitchen and living areas are common rooms used by
all members of the household. WRR provides furnishings, including
sofas, table and chairs, beds, and dressers, as well as basic
cooking supplies. Interns should bring their own bed and bath
linens.
Food is not provided by WRR. Internship positions
include housing and a $100 monthly stipend, which is intended
to help cover living expenses such as food, gas, and sundries.
8) How soon
before my start date can I move in?
Interns generally move in 1–2 days before
they are scheduled to begin work to allow time to move in
and get settled (buy groceries, read through required paperwork,
etc.) before they are scheduled to work. Please schedule your
arrival date so that we can work out all of the details before
you arrive.
9) Do Interns
socialize outside of work?
We have been extremely pleased with the level
of maturity, kindness, and responsibility demonstrated by
the Interns who have come to WRR. It has been common practice
that Interns do plan dinners, evenings out, day trips, etc.
together and have gotten along extremely well. Any housing
issues have been resolved by the residents of the trailers
themselves and many Interns who have completed their time
with us are still in touch with each other.
10) What will
my schedule be like?
All new Staff, Interns, and Volunteers start
in the clinic. In general, most people begin with a basic
8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. shift for a few days, where there
are good opportunities to learn basics and ask questions.
From this point, as responsibility and experience increase,
the shifts will change to helping open a shift (6:00 a.m.–2:30
p.m.) or close a shift (2:30 p.m.–11:00 p.m.). As experience
is gained in these areas, Interns will be trained to work
opening and closing more autonomously. After an Intern can
handle most situations that could arise in the clinic, they
will begin to be trained outside on shifts. During the summer
months the need is greatest inside the clinic, therefore WRR
will not require as many new Interns who are coming for spring
and summer internship positions to be trained outside on shifts,
however, they will have at least a day outside during their
time with us to help outside Staff.
11) How many
days off per week do Interns receive? Can the days off be
together? Can I leave the property on my days off?
All Interns and Staff generally receive two
days off per week. Whether the days off will be together or
separate can vary from one week's schedule to the next. Specific
days off can be requested and are subject to approval by a
manager. Please be aware that emergencies may come up, so
your days off may not always be guaranteed and we may need
to call you in on your off time if an emergency should arise.
You are welcome to leave the property on your
days off, however if you are scheduled as the Intern-on-call,
you must remain within a one-hour radius of WRR and be available
by cell phone. One thing to keep in mind is that you, as a
WRR Intern, represent the organization even on your time off
because you are living on-site. It is of the utmost importance
that if you are approached by a member of the public with
a question that you are polite, courteous, and willing to
get them the help they need even if you are not actually working
but are out on the property. It is also important that you
maintain a neat and tidy appearance even when you are off
duty and on the premises; remember that you live on-site of
a business.
12) How many
hours per week will I work?
Internship positions require 40 hours minimum
per week. During the busy season (May through September),
it is very likely that an estimated normal week would involve
50–65 hours per week. The work can be very difficult,
demanding, and exhausting but at the same time it comes with
rewards that cannot be found anywhere else. People need to
know their limitations and stress tolerance levels and to
ask for help when they need it.
13) What type
of training will be provided and when?
New Interns in animal care learn early how
to operate the Emergency
Hotline. Next, they receive training involving basic animal
care techniques, formula and diet preparation, providing proper
bedding and housing, enrichment, cleaning, and clinic maintenance.
The animals you will work with at the beginning stage will
vary depending on the time of year. Care of baby squirrels,
fawns (bottle feeding), baby songbirds, and care/cleaning
of more docile adult animals (opossums, armadillos, domestics)
would be an example of the animals a new Intern would provide
care for in their first few weeks with us.
The next step would be learning to care for
animals who have more complex needs or care instruction. This
would include caring for juvenile opossums and water birds.
We would also incorporate training on admittance procedures/guidelines
and emergency drop-off point arrivals at this stage of training.
From this point training at the next level
would be incorporated. This would include the care of baby
opossums (tube feeding), baby raccoons, baby skunks, baby
raptors, fawns (tube feeding), pigeons and doves (tube feeding),
and baby cottontails or jackrabbits (tube feeding).
The next level of training would involve the
general care of raptors, raccoons, and skunks. From this point
we determine if the Intern is ready to move to outside shifts
and continue training.
14) Do all Interns
receive the same training?
No. Interns have different experiences depending
on many factors, including the time of year. Spring/summer
interns can expect much more clinic time because that is when
the clinic has lots of babies to feed. In the fall/winter,
focus shifts to maintaining the outdoor animals' comfort and
warmth, so Interns during that time can expect more outside
duties.
Interns also receive different training in
accordance with the length of their stay. Three-month interns
will focus on the clinic. Six-month interns may have the opportunity
to work with non-natives (see description below). Interns
who wish to stay longer than six months may be allowed to
remain on for a few more months and focus on their particular
wildlife-related interest (i.e., carnivores, enrichment, rehabilitation,
releases, etc.).
Interns who want to work with Staff in caring
for non-native animals may have an opportunity to do so, however
this is contingent on receiving the rank of Senior Intern,
which is only available after four months' time, and also
on availability of shifts. Senior Intern status can be achieved
by following all rules, demonstrating an ability to complete
all requirements of the work and perform all job duties as
assigned, showing an outstanding attitude, having a great
work ethic, and exhibiting leadership skills.
15) Will I be
able to work with the Veterinarian?
It is possible to work with the Veterinarian
on occasions where he/she may need someone to restrain an
animal or assist in a treatment. WRR also hires Pre-Vet or
Vet Tech Interns (VTIs). We only employ two VTIs at any given
time. Non-VTIs who wish to work with the Veterinary Staff
may be allowed to do so once they reach Senior Intern status,
however it would be in a limited capacity. Interns would only
be considered for this if they have shown a commitment to
veterinary care by helping Vet Staff in their off time and
have proven themselves reliable.
16) Will I be
involved with educational work? Releases? Enrichment?
Most of the educational work we do is over
the phone, educating the general public when they call us
about urban wildlife issues.
We do receive calls to come to schools or businesses to talk
about what we do, and if an Intern shows interest in wanting
to be involved, we would be happy to involve him or her in
this area.
Interns are encouraged to be involved in releases.
We care for many animals who will need to be released where
they were found, or at a specific release site that is usually
set up in advance. The release of an animal we have rehabilitated
is an incredible experience to be involved with and we hope
you will be interested in this aspect of the work.
Environmental enrichment is an extremely important
aspect of captive animal care. Many enrichment activities
or devices are scheduled into the week for many of the permanent
residents, and Interns are strongly encouraged to research
and implement new ideas.
17) Is there
anything I should do before my arrival?
Yes, some of the items have been discussed
above, but they are listed for you in order of priority below:
| • |
Obtain the series of
rabies pre-exposure vaccinations. Be sure you are given
documentation of these vaccinations to present upon
arrival. |
| • |
Read the Intern Manual. |
| • |
Research the general
Texas
Hill Country area to familiarize yourself with the
species most commonly found here.
|
| • |
Familiarize yourself with the city
of San Antonio through the use of city and street
maps as you will be involved in outreach and rescue
work throughout the city.
|
| • |
Do some background research into
the natural history of native species of mammals, birds,
and reptiles of Texas. Mammals we most commonly see
at WRR are Opossums, Raccoons, skunks (Striped, but
Spotted are also indigenous), squirrels (Fox, Rock,
and Ground Squirrels are all native to the area), Cottontail
Rabbits, Jackrabbits, bats (Free-tailed and Red are
most common), Coyotes, Gray Foxes, Ringtails, Bobcats,
Javelinas, White-tailed Deer, Porcupines, Armadillos,
Beavers, and Badgers.
|
| • |
We see so many songbirds that it
is difficult to prepare for all of them, but it is a
good idea to look into natural histories of swallows,
finches, swifts, hummingbirds, nightjars, sparrows,
wrens, jays (Scrub and Blue), Cardinals, Grackles, Mockingbirds,
Starlings, Cowbirds, Robins, Meadowlarks, and Cuckoos.
We also see Roadrunners, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks,
Muscovy Ducks, egrets (Great and Cattle), and herons
(many different species). The raptors we primarily deal
with are owls (Great Horned, Barred, Screech, and Barn),
vultures (Turkey and Black), and hawks (Red-tailed,
Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, and Red-shouldered are the
most common), as well as Kestrals and kites.
|
| • |
There are many different species
of turtles, tortoises, snakes, and lizards in Texas.
A reptile ID book would provide the best information
about the species most commonly found in this area.
We see many Red-eared Sliders, Texas Tortoises, Soft-shelled
Turtles, Box Turtles, Snapping Turtles, and many different
species of snakes.
|
| • |
Though there are no guarantees that
you will be able to work with non-native animals, you
are encouraged to research the natural history of some
of the permanent residents of the sanctuary. These would
include:
Mammals: Jaguars, Mountain
Lions, American Black Bears, Wolves, Fennec Foxes, Coatimundis,
Caracals
Exotic Reptiles: Iguanas,
Boa Constrictors, Pythons, Tokay Geckos, African Spur-thighed
Tortoises
Primates: Rhesus Macaques,
Crab-eating Macaques, Celebes (or Sulawesi) Macaques,
Brown Lemurs, Ring-tailed Lemurs, Squirrel Monkeys,
Owl Monkeys, Spider Monkeys, Guenons, Weeping Capuchins,
White-fronted Capuchins, and Cinnamon Capuchins
Exotic Birds: Umbrella
Cockatoos, Moluccan Cockatoos, Sulfur-crested Cockatoos,
Goffin's Cockatoos, Nanday Conures, Sun Conures, Blue-crowned
Conures, African Grey Parrots, Yellow-headed Amazon
Parrots, Cockatiels, Budgerigars, Lovebirds, Green-winged
Macaws, Scarlet Macaws, and Ring-necked Parakeets |
More Information for Animal Care Interns
Animal
Care Internship Information & Application
Animal Care Internship
Job Description
Animal Care Internship
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
General Information
for Interns
Application
Download, print, complete, and return an Animal
Care Internship Application.
Questions
If you have questions about interning at WRR,
please contact Krystal Mathis at krystalm@wildlife-rescue.org
or (830) 336-2725 x303.
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