• Length: 240 total hours to be completed within 6 months
• Commitment: Minimum of 3 four-hour shifts per week
• Shift options: 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM, 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
• Requirements: Volunteer Orientation
• Supervisor: AWARE Rehab Team
• Application Deadline: Rolling- Available year-round 

 

About the Internship

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Internship is AWARE’s core hands-on animal care internship. Interns work directly with our team of licensed wildlife rehabilitators to care for injured and orphaned native wildlife throughout every stage of rehabilitation. This internship provides a realistic, immersive experience in wildlife rehabilitation, where interns learn by actively participating in the daily care of wildlife patients while working alongside experienced wildlife professionals. Many interns pursue careers in veterinary medicine, wildlife biology, conservation, or animal care, but the program is open to anyone who is passionate about helping wildlife and eager to learn.

What You’ll Do

Wildlife Rehabilitation Interns participate in the daily care of a wide variety of native wildlife patients. Responsibilities may include:

• Supporting the daily husbandry and daily care care of a wide range of wildlife species
• Preparing species-appropriate diets and feeding wildlife patients while learning the unique nutritional needs of many different animals
• Hand-rearing orphaned baby wildlife, including squirrels, opossums, deer and other native species
• Syringe feeding, gavaging and other specialized feeding techniques used for young or critical patients
• Learning and assisting with safe wildlife handling and restraint techniques
• Cleaning and maintaining enclosures to ensure safe, healthy environments for recovering wildlife
• Cleaning and maintaining treatment areas
• Observing animal health and behavior and communicating changes to the care team
• Species identification and natural history
• Supporting the day-to-day work that keeps a wildlife hospital running
• Working in a fast-paced wildlife hospital environment

Veterinary Admissions Info

All hours are performed under the direct supervision of licensed rehabbers and under the oversight of our Director of Veterinary Medicine, and intern hours are typically considered "vet experience" by vet school admissions departments.

Why Apply?

This internship provides direct, hands-on experience caring for wild animals in a rehabilitation setting. Interns gain practical skills, learn from experienced wildlife professionals, and play an active role in helping injured and orphaned animals recover and return to the wild. For anyone interested in wildlife rehabilitation, veterinary medicine, or animal care, this program offers meaningful experience that builds both knowledge and confidence while making a real difference for wildlife.

How to Apply

To apply, complete the combined internship application below and select this internship among any other(s) you want to be considered for. The combined application allows you to apply for any of AWARE's internships that require previous experience at AWARE. Because these internships are competitive, we strongly encourage applicants to select and rank several internships they are interested in. If you are not selected for your top choice, you may still be considered for other internships you ranked.