For more information, please follow this link: http://wikimapia.org/37903582/Freeport-McMoran-Audubon-Species-Survival-Center-Audubon-Nature-Institute

Position Dates:
Feb/March 2022 – Oct/Nov 2022

Time Commitment:
8 month internship (32 weeks)
Works 5 days per week (40 hrs). Including weekends and holidays.

Benefits:
Free onsite housing Stipend $200 per week (before taxes)

About the Species Survival Center:
The Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center (FMASSC) is one of the facilities run by the Audubon Nature Institute. It is a unique piece of property that expands approximately 1,000 acres in an area south of downtown New Orleans. The FMASSC is historically known for its innovative research in exotic feline reproduction at its research facility, the “Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species (ACRES).” Currently FMASSC runs several programs, including; the Coastal Wildlife Network, which rehabilitates sea turtles and marine mammals; the Crane Recovery Programs, which breeds and releases endangered whooping crane and Mississippi sandhill cranes; the G.U.L.F. Program, which works with sustainable fishery projects in the Gulf of Mexico; and the most recent, the Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife (ASW). The Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife is the new partnership between Audubon Nature Institute and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; its mission to become a large breeding center for endangered species of hoofstock and birds.

Summary of Position:
Interns will gain valuable hands-on experience working with a large collection of endangered whooping cranes and Mississippi sandhill cranes and other various bird species at this AZA certified facility. Interns will gain experience in husbandry, enrichment, record keeping, diet preparation, monitoring animal behavior, assist in egg processing, costume-rearing of chicks, artificial insemination, pen design and maintenance, and veterinary procedures as they relate to general animal care. This internship offers a stipend and free onsite housing. The position is contingent on passing a background check, drug test, and must have a Covid-19 vaccination.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Daily tasks include, but are not limited to:

  • Diet preparation
  • Feeding Cleaning enclosures (raking, sweeping, mopping, hosing etc.)
  • Behavioral observations
  • Facility maintenance (fence repair, mowing, weed eating, painting, etc.)
  • Helping maintain and service incubators and the eggs within
  • Wearing heavy denim costumes while walking, feeding, and cleaning around chicks
  • Daily care for individual birds, pairs, flocks, and chicks
  • Preparation and administering of enrichment items
  • Assist staff with veterinary procedures when required
  • Interns living on grounds are expected to keep the house clean

Requirements:

  • A sincere interest in birds.
  • Strong interest in animal care, husbandry and conservation.
  • Comprehensive understanding of avian imprinting and it’s relation to costume rearing
  • Capable of accurately following written and verbal directions, policies and protocols.
  • Good attitude and solid work ethic.
  • Ability to work alone or as part of a team.
  • Ability to work outdoors in physically demanding adverse conditions (heat, humidity, rain, biting insects, poison ivy, and snakes etc.), limited visibility, and lift 50 lbs.
  • Up-to-date tetanus vaccination and proof of negative TB skin test prior to beginning work.
  • Must be able to pass a background check and drug test.