Internship Available at Shedd Aquarium (Marine Mammals)

Summary:
The Marine Mammals department at Shedd Aquarium consists of several animal teams. Interns support the daily operations of the teams that care for Pacific white-sided dolphins, beluga whales, northern and southern sea otters, California sea lions, three species of birds of prey, and rockhopper and Magellanic penguins.

Objective:
These internships are designed to be career learning experiences that offer exposure to animal husbandry, positive reinforcement training, animal behavior and the chance to complete an individual observational or research project. Interns master food prep, record keeping and the basics of caring for and feeding animals. They have opportunities to exercise leadership and communication skills and join a network of professionals caring for animals in Chicago and across the country.

Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate commitment to Shedd’s vision, mission and values.
• Cleaning: A significant portion of time is spent maintaining a clean and healthy environment for the animals. This includes thorough cleaning and disinfection of animal habitats and reserve spaces, kitchens and food prep areas, and animal dishes.
• Food preparation: All interns spend a few hours each shift helping to prepare diets for all the animals. This includes thawing, inspecting, weighing and cutting various food types as well as formula preparation and vitamin administration.
• Recordkeeping: Interns assist in daily recordkeeping, helping to document diets consumed, cleaning chores, behavioral observations, session notes and enrichment details.
• Special project: After mastering the basic chores of the department, each intern is assigned a special project to complete during the internship. A portion of time each day is allocated to the project and interns present their findings in a PowerPoint presentation at the end of the term. Projects might focus on animal enrichment, animal behavior, or data analysis, based on the current needs of the department.
• Marine mammal interns assist in training sessions and aquatic presentations throughout the day. Interns perform a variety of tasks during animal training sessions and aquatic presentations, including operating manual and hydraulic doors, setting up and breaking down equipment, managing guests and assisting trainers during animal training sessions.
• Other projects as assigned

For more info on this opportunity, and to apply, visit link here: https://sheddaquarium.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a23xwy5lbcof