Intern Opportunities

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s intern program offers a wide range of experiences in the areas of animal care, business, development, environmental education, horticulture, information technology, veterinary technology and wildlife research.

Animal Care
Interns working in the Animal Care departments have the opportunity to work under the supervision of experienced animal keepers. Interns help to maintain the animal collection by preparing diets, cleaning exhibits, shifting animals, and monitoring the health of the collection.
Working with the keeper staff, interns gain experience in providing for the needs of exotic animals in captivity and acquire better understanding of the requirements of these animals.

Interns are assigned to a morning and afternoon animal area and are working from the hours of 8:00am to 3:30pm, generally Monday-Friday. Animal care experience is available in the following areas:
• Manatee Springs (Manatees and other Floridian wildlife)
• African Veldt/ Rhino Reserve (Indian and black rhinoceros and various hoof stock)
• Amphibian Collection
• Cat House
• Children’s Zoo (rare barnyard livestock and small eastern woodland animals)
• Commissary
• Vanishing Giants (elephants, giraffe and okapi)
• Insectarium
• Jungle Trails (primates and small nocturnal animals)
• Nocturnal House
• Primate Center (lowland gorillas, colobus monkeys and guenons)
• Reptile House
• Wildlife Canyon (Sumatran rhinoceros and various hoof stock)
• Wings of the World (birds)

Business
The intern assists the business manager with operations, purchasing, and maintaining supply inventory, as well as coordinating maintenance and construction/renovation projects, development and implementation of safety programs, plus scheduling and overseeing seasonal personnel.

Development
Interns gain experience in all aspects of fundraising at one of the area’s largest development offices. Work includes data entry, special events coordination, and working with the major gift club.

Environmental Education
Working in the Education Department provides interns with an opportunity to convey an appreciation and understanding of the natural world to others. Professional educators offer support, training, and guidance in presenting live animal demonstrations, along with assisting you in the coordination and instruction of various educational programs.
Opportunities include:
• Summer Day Camp: Interns are instructors for classes designed for children ages 3-11. This is a morning assignment and in the afternoon, interns either continue working in Education or in an animal area.
• Discovery Center presentations–Summer only
• Conservation programs–Year round
• Outreach programs to schools-–Sept. – May
• Zoo classes for all ages–Year round
• Graphic Design–Year round
• Animal presentations–Summer only; one position each for "Wings of Wonder" bird show and "Cats, Cats, Cats" cat show. Prior experience in handling and training exotic animals is required.

Horticulture/Botany
Interns gain first-hand experience in the maintenance and expansion of the Zoo’s botanical collection. Work includes planting, pruning, watering, and weeding along with labeling, tracking new acquisitions, and transferring and maintaining computer records. Listed in the AABGA, Internship Opportunities.

Information Technology
The Information Technology intern will assist department members in new and ongoing projects. This position will develop skills in network/workstation support, database applications, and many other facets of day to day Information Technology operations.

Lindner Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW)
CREW interns will experience high tech research at one of the most sophisticated centers for plant and animal reasearch in the world. Only advanced graduate and veterinary students with strong research interests will be considered. Interns will assist professionals using research techniques on the cutting edge of science, including cryopreservation, embryo transfer and plant cloning. Interns also help with routine laboratory work and plant/animal care.

Security Department
Security interns will assist security management with scheduling (both for general and special events), first aid response, surveillance, access control, and safety assurance. Interns will also be given special academic research/proposal projects.

Veterinary Technology
Internships are available to veterinary technician students in their final year of training. Internships are 6-10 weeks in length and are available during the summer session only. The intern assists hospital staff with animal procedures, immobilizations, laboratory work, dispensing medication, maintaining supplies, and behavioral conditioning of the animals.

For further questions call 513-559-7736 or email us at volunteers@cincinnatizoo.org.

Click here for printable application form (PDF file).