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Animal Care Internships

​​​​​​Our internship opportunities offer a brief experience into the world of zoo keeping in a beautiful wildlife setting with Native Georgia species. The internship program at Oatland Island Wildlife Center is designed to provide training and experience to those candidates seeking to work in an animal related field and prefers candidates that are pursuing a degree in biology or a related discipline. 

Internship positions can be extremely rewarding to an animal lover or wildlife enthusiasts but do not guarantee contact with all the animals on the property and will not provide physical contact with most of the animals for safety reasons. We make every effort to ensure that our interns are trained in all fields of animal husbandry, which include but may not be limited to: animal safety and well​-being, diet preparation, feeding, enclosure maintenance and cleaning, enrichment, observation, medication, rehabilitation, potential veterinary procedure/exam exposure, animal dietary needs/restrictions, enclosure design and much more.

Internship Requirements:
  • Must be 18 years of age and have a valid driver’s license and a high school diploma/GED. 
  • Must be able to commit to a schedule providing a minimum of 24 hours/week. 
  • Must be willing to work holidays and weekends if necessary. 
  • Must maintain a current tetanus vaccination (within 5 years). 
  • Must have a negative TB test within the last year. Rabies vaccine not required but strongly encouraged. 
  • Desire to work with animals with an educational focus in animal sciences strongly encouraged. 
  • Ability to work with and be comfortable around a variety of animal species. 
  • Ability to lift 50 pounds repeatedly. 
  • Ability to bend, stoop, crawl, or be in other uncomfortable positions throughout the day. 
  • Ability to work in extreme weather (heat, cold, winds, rain, cat 2 hurricane or less). 
  • Ability to work hard for 8 hour shifts without many breaks. 
  • Must be able to climb ladders and stairs. 
  • Must be able to load and operate wheelbarrows loaded up to 150 pounds. 
  • Must be able to operate small machinery such as weed eaters and mowers. 
​​Internship Terms:
  • Summer: May-July, June-August
  • Fall: September-November, October-December​​​
  • Spring: February-April, March-May​​
Application information: 

To apply for the animal care internship​​ position, email a copy of your cover letter and resume to the email below. Depending upon available space and Department need, you may then be contacted for an interview. 

Contact Information: 

Amanda Michael

Food Prep

Internship Details:

288 hour requirement for 3 month internship (typically 3, 8 hour shifts a week for 3 months). No housing or stipend provided. Personal vehicle with current license and registration required. Recent negative TB test. Completion of Intern Project to be approved by Senior Animal Care/Director of Animal Programs.