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• Horticulture Internship
• Animal Care Internships
• Behavior Programs

Applicant qualifications:

• Applicants must be currently enrolled in college.
• Recent college graduates (within the last two years) may apply for an internship.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
• Candidates must provide proof of current negative TB test.
• Animal Care applicants must be able to lift 50 pounds.

Additional internship information:

• Interns earn $9 an hour for paid internships.
• Interns may work 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays. 
• Housing is not provided.
• Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter in .PDF, .DOC, or .RTF format only.  Other formats will not be accepted.
• Incomplete applications will not be accepted. 
• Letters of recommendation may be submitted, but are not required.
• Internship opportunities will be posted as positions become available.
• Junior/Senior Veterinarian students may e-mail dbrenner@denverzoo.org for more information on preceptorships.
• This is a very competitive program, not all those who apply will be selected for an interview.
• General questions regarding the internship program may be directed to ZooInternships@denverzoo.org, no phone calls please.

Zoo keeping internships are available in Birds, Hoof stock, Carnivores, Primate and Tropical Discovery (fish/reptiles) departments. Interns gain experience in the daily care of animals, by working closely with zookeepers in diet preparation, animal observation, exhibit maintenance and record keeping. Interns are also exposed to animal training. Interns must be able to lift 50 pounds and enjoy working outdoors. Applicants must be college students studying biology, zoology, wildlife management and/or related fields. Candidates should have career goals consistent with the animal field. Prior animal experience is desired, but not required.

The following internships are available:

Birds

Hoof stock

Carnivores          

Primates  

Tropical Discovery   

Daily Responsibilities and Duties:

• Cleaning animal holdings, kitchen, service & public areas.

• Diet preparation & vitamins per DZF and USDA regulations.

• Fish cutting in preparation for training sessions.

• Record keeping & learning the importance of training logs

• Water quality/ water tests: Staff provides an overview on the filtration system and interns may help with water treatments under staff supervision.

• Behavioral training terms will be discussed and interns will be required to do occasional pop-quizzes. Intern may get hands-on experience working with harbor seals based on skill level and willingness to listen and learn.

• Public interactions: Intern must become knowledgeable on pinniped natural history and facts. Intern may be asked to interact with the public and work toward doing Q&A segments on microphone.

• Special project: This may be a requirement of the candidates’ school or may be assigned by the supervisor.

Behavior Programs

The intern will be working in various departments under the supervision of the Curator of Behavioral Husbandry, learning about what goes into a behavioral husbandry program.  The intern should be in college (or recently graduated) and working towards a degree in the biology, psychology or related fields, and should have a basic knowledge of operant conditioning and / or of animal behavior.  Interns need to have a recent TB test, and tetanus shot. Because of the nature of working close to a variety of animals, both alongside the management and keeper staff, and at times independently outside of animal areas, the applicant needs to demonstrate maturity, self motivation, and an ability to follow direction.  There is also an independent research project whether or not this is a requirement for credit.

Duties may include:

• Help coordinate enrichment item purchases.  Organize and distribute enrichment items.  Help organize supplies for volunteer enrichment projects, help to monitor these projects.
• Attend, video record, and/or transfer to tape for various training and enrichment sessions.  Attend and transcribe notes for training and enrichment related meetings around the zoo.
• Research training, enrichment and behavior issues and needs.
• Help develop and organize the documentation needed to support training and enrichment programs in various departments, including:  training plans, enrichment requests, training session documents, observation forms, etc.
• Help with development and implementation of new training and enrichment program components, including enrichment calendars, behavioral observations, and enrichment and training evaluation.
• Design and conduct an independent behavior observation project.  Collect and analyze behavioral data.
  

Applicant qualifications:

• Applicants must be currently enrolled in college.
• Recent college graduates (within the last two years) may apply for an internship.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
• Candidates must provide proof of current negative TB test.
• Animal Care applicants must be able to lift 50 pounds.

Additional internship information:

• Interns earn $9 an hour for paid internships.
• Interns may work 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays. 
• Housing is not provided.
• Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter in .PDF, .DOC, or .RTF format only.  Other formats will not be accepted.
• Incomplete applications will not be accepted. 
• Letters of recommendation may be submitted, but are not required.
• Internship opportunities will be posted as positions become available.
• Junior/Senior Veterinarian students may e-mail dbrenner@denverzoo.org for more information on preceptorships.
• This is a very competitive program, not all those who apply will be selected for an interview.
• General questions regarding the internship program may be directed to ZooInternships@denverzoo.org, no phone calls please.