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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) Will
I be able to work with the veterinarian?
15) Will
I be involved with educational work? Releases? Enrichment?
16) 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 90's 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. We suggest a good pair of
sneakers for inside the clinic and a comfortable pair of waterproof
boots for working outside. 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 could 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 avoid 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/VCR.
4) Are there
any venomous reptiles in the area?
This area of Texas is home to 4 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 4 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) which 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.
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
and during that time (May through September) there are approximately
10 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, the
number of Interns working with us drops to between 5 and 8
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. 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 $50 weekly stipend, which is intended
to 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. or 12:00–8:30 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 (3:30
p.m.–12:00 a.m.). As experience is gained in these areas,
Interns will be trained to be the lead person on opening and
closing, as well as be trained on phones. We have also incorporated
an overnight shift (9:30 p.m.–6:00 a.m.) that Interns
will be scheduled on; this is a shift dealing primarily with
feeding babies. After an Intern can handle most situations
that could arise in the clinic, s/he will begin to be trained
outside on shifts. During the summer months the need is greatest
inside the clinic, therefore new Interns who are coming for
spring and summer internship positions will most likely not
be trained outside on shifts, however, they will have at least
one 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 2 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. 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
45–65 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
take breaks when they need them.
13) What type
of training will be provided and when?
As a rule, new Interns in animal care 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. These
would include caring for some of the exotic birds and reptiles,
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, skunks, foxes, bats, snakes,
some primates, and would also involve some medication administration
training. From this point we determine if the Intern is ready
to move to outside shifts and continue training.
14) Will I be
able to work with the veterinarian?
It is possible to work with the veterinarian
on occasions where s/he may need someone to restrain an animal
or assist in a treatment. A vet tech is scheduled with the
veterinarian on some days of the week to assist.
15) 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 phone 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 in the
areas where they were found, or at a specific release site,
which 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.
Behavioral and 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.
16) 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. |
| • |
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 the species
of swallows, swifts, sparrows, finches, hummingbirds,
and woodpeckers found in Texas. Also study Texas birds
in the nightjar family, Cardinals, jays (Scrub and Blue),
Grackles, Mockingbirds, Starlings, Cowbirds, Wrens,
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. |
| • |
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
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Animal Care Internship
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