Mote's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital provide state of the art critical care and chronic care for several species of stranded sea turtles. The primary mission of the Hospitals is to rehabilitate these animals and return them to the wild, at the same time gaining information that will expand knowledge of the biology, disease processes, and veterinary care of these animals. The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital consistently has patients throughout the year, and much of the intern's responsibilities will focus on these animals. Click to learn more about our hospital's current sea turtle patients.
The role of the Animal Rehabilitation Intern is to assist staff with basic husbandry care of hospital patients, including diet preparation, feeding, water quality, habitat maintenance, data entry, and assisting with restraint and veterinary procedures as needed. Under certain circumstances, interns may also assist with beach rescues, necropsies and animal releases back to the wild.
Undergraduate students interested in careers in animal care and husbandry, biology, or wildlife conservation and rehabilitation preferred. Ability to lift fifty pounds and strong swimming ability required. Interns work four, 10-hour-days a week, including at least one weekend day and sometimes both. A 12 week commitment is preferred. Intern hours may vary widely according to the medical needs of animals in residence, so interns MUST have independent, reliable transportation. The public transportation system does not run as early as your shift begins. Please note that this is NOT a veterinary focused internship.