Big Cat Rescue is located in Tampa,
Florida and is home to about a hundred
big cats and is accredited by the Global
Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. During
the course of the internship, the intern
will gain valuable knowledge and working
experience. Big Cat Rescue is a strict
no-contact facility. At no time, under any
circumstances will any part of your
person come into direct contact with an
animal at Big Cat Rescue. Interning at
Big Cat Rescue is a lot of work.
Interns must complete 600 hours of
service during the 12-week internship.
This is equivalent to working 50 plus
hours per week. The day typically begins
between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. and ends
between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m.
Interns receive a minimum of one full
day off per week and are required to
work holidays.
All intern levels participate in Big Cat
Rescue foster kitten program. Foster
kittens are accepted from the Humane
Society of Tampa or similar organizations.
These kittens are cared for by interns
until they reach two pounds, at which
point they are returned to the
organization who then spays, neuters and
adopts them out.
Interns begin in partner training to
learn data entry, tour guiding, and guest
relations to better familiarize
themselves with the mission of the
sanctuary and the daily operations, and
then advance into the keeper training to
learn animal husbandry.
And you're all set. Thanks for coming.
Interns will learn the protocols and
techniques for cleaning the enclosures.
You.
Interns will learn how to do food prep
for all of the cats, as well as protocols
and techniques for feeding the small
cats, lynx and smaller.
Interns will learn how to create and
hand out enrichment items that are safe
for the cats, as well as have the
opportunity to join the enrichment team
that meets weekly to make seasonal
enrichment.
You.
Interns will receive operant
conditioning training which rewards the
desired natural behaviors to make
checkups easier for our veterinary staff.
You.
Projects are done everyday. This at
times includes strenuous manual labor
and heavy lifting. Interns, as well as
volunteers, are responsible for any
landscaping and maintenance done in the
enclosures and around the property.
You.
Our animals are in natural habitats with
limited human contact. Thus, our routine
veterinary care consists of monthly
parasite preventative and vaccinations.
Interns that are certified in small cat
feeding may have the opportunity to
assist with the preparation of diets
containing monthly and quarterly
deworming. Flea preventative treatments,
vaccinations, and all other non routine
veterinary care procedures are performed
by the veterinarian and the staff.
Opportunities to observe non-routine
veterinary procedures are infrequent and
are not guaranteed. Observation
opportunities are decided on
case-by-case basis and decisions are
based upon the following criteria: risk
and safety of humans and animals, space
available at the site of the procedure,
intern's behavior and work ethic, and the
personality of the animal. Interns
pursuing a career in the veterinary field
may receive priority, but this is not
guaranteed.
Interning at Big Cat Rescue is a great
way to build relationships with your
peers as well as these amazing animals.
Hi, I'm Jess and this is my favorite cat.
This is Apollo.
He is a Siberian Lynx. This is Bengali
and my favorite things about him are that
he talks back to me so he me makes me
feel like I'm not crazy for talking to
cats.
Interns are welcome from all over the
world. Grace, Ireland. Haley, Scotland.
Chelsea, New York, United States. My name
is Daniella, from Columbia. Sam Willins,
Manchester,England. Mary Clare, Wisconsin,
United States. Big Cat Rescue can only
accommodate a limited number of interns
at any given time. Applications for
internship are accepted year-round. It is
recommended that you apply no later than
three months prior to your desired start
time, but applications will be accepted
any time. Do you have what it takes to be
a Big Cat Rescue intern? EDITED-KJA-DAL-MGN-DQ