Application

A student intern MUST be receiving academic credit from, or fulfilling an academic requirement for an accredited educational institution. In most instances, student interns are upper division majors or minors in the areas of biological science, horticulture, pre-veterinary medicine, education, conservation biology or related disciplines.

Internships are unpaid and are 10 to 14 weeks in length and 30 to 40 hours per week.

Applications MUST Include:

• Completed application form
• Cover Letter including a paragraph explaining why you are interested in an internship at the Minnesota Zoo;
• Resume;
• Official Transcripts; and,
• Letter of recommendation from an advisor or supervisor

Application Deadlines:

All application materials must be received by the following deadlines unless otherwise noted in the internship descriptions.

The Minnesota/Tropics Mammals department oversees the daily management and care of the Zoo’s tropical reptile and mammal collection as well as the native Minnesota mammal collection. This includes over 200 animals representing a diverse range of about 50 species from geckos to gibbons, tree kangaroos to tapirs, and porcupines to warty pigs. The Tropics Trail is a lushly planted 3-acre indoor facility and the Minnesota Trail houses native Minnesota species in natural looking exhibits.

Year-round Internship Opportunities:

Starting and ending dates are flexible. The internship would involve 40 hours per week for 12 weeks. Hours vary depending on the time of year. Summer internships are 10 hour days 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Fall, winter, and spring internships are 8-hour days 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. College credit required.

Responsibilities for the Minnesota/Tropics Mammals department internship include cleaning, husbandry, diet preparation and feeding and monitoring of the reptile and mammals that are exhibited on the Tropics Trail and Minnesota Trail.

Duties to include:

• Daily maintenance of mammal and reptile exhibits and holding areas
• Daily diet preparation and feeding of the reptile and mammals in the collection
• Learn identification of all mammals and reptiles in the collection and their daily needs
• Learn about enrichment and creation of enrichment devices
• Monitor the animals daily for health and breeding behavior
• Ability to work in dusty conditions
• Ability to lift at least 50 pounds
• Assist in animal health procedures as needed
• Interact with guests and volunteers when working in the public areas
• Maintain accurate records
• Enter animal records into the computer
• Assist in developing and implementing a conservation message or project
• Assist with reference work or additional tasks as needed

For more information, please contact:
Internship Coordinator, Human Resources
13000 Zoo Boulevard, Apple Valley, MN 55124
E-mail: Human.resources.mnzoo@state.mn.us
Fax: 952.431.9211
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