Work with wild animals Updated April 2022 – Unpaid internship in exchange for free accommodation and food, to hand-raise/ treat orphaned and injured wildlife and release them back into the wild! Minimum commitment of 4-6 weeks Oct- February.

This is an unpaid internship Critter Care Wildlife Society, which cares for orphaned, injured, and sick wildlife mammals of B.C. We heavily rely on interns to help us hand raise and care for these animals before we release them back into the wild.

Tasks include general animal care, bottle feeding, medicating (under supervision), cleaning, enriching, maintenance etc. It is an amazing opportunity for people wanting to work in the field of animal care/ zoo/ conservation as it allows them to gain valuable hands-on experience.

General description

We are a non-profit charity that rehabilitates injured and orphaned native wild mammal species. We have been operating since 1984 and have steadily grown year after year with the number of animals we have admitted. We are the only wild mammal rehab centre in southern B.C, This year we will have admitted over 2000 animals. The species we admit range from

• Black Bears
• River Otters
• Raccoons
• Skunks
• Squirrels
• Beavers
• Fawns and many more.

General information

Critter Care is a charity and is not government funded and we solely operate off the generosity of our volunteers and sponsors. We have an intern program where people travel from around the world to get hands-on experience, and interns stay typically ranges from 8 weeks to 4 months. Spring is our busiest time of year, in the baby season we will have up to 25 interns to care for hundreds of baby animals.

During an intern’s stay, they will live on-site, they are provided free lodging and food as they typically raise the animals from a few weeks old and require feeding around the clock. Interns are expected to care for their animals and keep up with other duties as requested such as cleaning/food prep/medicating their animals under supervision.

Internship tasks

Interns are required to go on various rescues and sometimes they have the option to go on a release and watch their grown babies get introduced into the wild. From our experience interns gain valuable experiences working with our wildlife which sets them up for success in almost any industry they wish to pursue.

Since interns come from all over the world they build long-lasting relationships with their peers. Critter Care has become a much needed public service to the community, we slowly developed an education program for youth to teach them the fundamentals of our wild native mammal species and how we are able to coexist with wildlife. Young people love this program as they get to see a wild animal up close and learn basic skills not taught in schools.

What type of host are you?

• Private/Individual/family

What are you looking for help with?

• Animal keeping
• General Help

What’s the mission of your community?

to rehab injured/ sick and orphaned wildlife and release back into the wild. providing care for animals in the community and helping with conservation.

How many volunteers could you host?

• Up to 10 volunteers

When would you need volunteers?

• We accept interns (volunteers) for a minimum of 8 weeks – up to 4 months.

How many hours of help per day?

• 8 hours of help per day (Full Time)

How many days of help per week?

• 5 days per week – 2 days off

Note about the volunteer work and other expectations

Volunteering at Critter Care Wildlife Society is hard work long hours bottle-feeding orphaned wildlife can be tiring. However, releasing ‘your babies’ back into the wild is so rewarding.

Are accommodation and food included?

Yes, we offer food and accommodation

What type of accommodation can you provide?

• Dormitory/shared rooms

Diet – nutrition information

We provided basic foods such as; milk, butter, pasta, bread, beans, etc most is donated. We have people all year round and many never buy any extra food. We frequently have vegans and vegetarians here at the centre. If there is anything special/extra you want or require then you will have to purchase it.

Fees transparency

$200 deposit for the internship and a $25 admin fee (to process paperwork). A $200 deposit will be returned to the intern after completing the volunteering stay requested.

VISA – could you provide Visa support/info/invitation letters?

No, we cannot help with visas but we can offer assistance

Volunteers’ benefits:

• Get hands-on experience handling/working with wildlife.
• Have an excellent reference for anyone wishing to work with animals in the future.
• Meet amazing people from around the world and create friendships that last a lifetime.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

What to do in your free time

In the summer we have a trampoline, pool and BBQ area. In addition to a large common room where interns enjoy playing games and hanging out. Staff regularly do team building activities with interns, providing games, quizzes and other fun activities. Interns can visit Vancouver on their days off, go skiing and enjoy all the other actives that the surrounding area has to offer.

Language

English 🇬🇧

How to get to your site

Aeroplane to YVR, and we will organize a lift from the airport to the centre.

Is there internet access?

Yes!

CONTACT DETAILS 🔍📧

Application for volunteer & internship position: https://www.crittercarewildlife.org/internship-application

Website: https://www.crittercarewildlife.org/what-we-do  🌐

https://www.instagram.com/critter_care_wildlife/
Hostname: Nathan. W
Host Email: crittercare4@shaw.ca 📧

Click here, for more volunteering programs in Animal Sanctuary or Rescue Center.

Go to Canada – volunteering opportunity section.