Combining all the late hours and cross-training, I estimate to have worked approximately 400 hours this past summer. I cross-trained twice, once in Village and once in the Carnivore department. On our days off, we had the ability to cross-train in another department. Interns had the same schedule as the keepers which was four 10 hours days per week. This internship was 12 weeks long and was unpaid. And there were many tasks that included diet prepping, cleaning stalls, training of a rhino, hippos, and giraffes, driving an ATV, and assisting with medical procedures. There was a checklist that the keepers would sign off on after I had demonstrated to be proficient at that task. ![]() As an intern, I was trained to do basically everything a supervising keeper did. It is the largest ungulates that I got to work with closely and train: rhinos, hippos, and giraffes. Since all of our department’s animals were in the drive-through section of the park, they took care of themselves mostly since grass and water are naturally provided. The word “ungulate” means a hooved animal, so all our creatures (minus a few bird species) were rather large and herbivores. ![]() I applied to be an Ungulate intern because that department takes care of the largest groups of animals in physical size and variety. These are Carnivores, Ungulates, Elephants, Village, and Education. Wildlife Safari divides its animals into different departments when it comes to caring for and feeding them. Out of the six zoos I applied to, just one got back to me for an interview, (I bet you can guess which one!). I had a polished resume that included leadership experience from the Honors College and the support of my Honors College professors as references, as well as other community service and leadership activities. And it wasn’t because of a lack of trying or qualifications. I had no idea how competitive applying for and receiving an internship would be. Because of how the SOU academic year worked, the time frame gave me about a month of searching and applying to many zoos around the country before deadlines came or passed. I began my internship search during the winter break of 2021 knowing I wanted an internship in the summer of ‘22. This internship was especially helpful in gaining experience about what it’s like to work in a zoo and interact with a variety of animals. I longed to work in a zoo and make connections with animals and promote their conservation to the public. ![]() Ever since I was young, I have been fascinated by the natural world, especially animals. My Biology degree has an emphasis on zoology and ecology. Presently, I am a senior at Southern Oregon University studying Biology with a Native American Studies minor and in the Honors College. In the summer of 2022, I was an Ungulate Intern Keeper at the Wildlife Safari Zoo in Winston, Oregon.
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