Wolf Park - Internship Program

Internship Program

Internship Coordinator: Dana Drenzek

Cost:
$495 for two - three months. A minimum of $200 is required in advance upon acceptance into the program, with the balance due upon arrival at Wolf Park.

This does not include your other living expenses, such as food, nor your transportation to and from Lafayette, Indiana. A hidden cost that interns always tell us about is all the souvenirs such as photos that you will buy while you are here! There are generally at least weekly optional trips into town for dinner or "hanging out", which can substantially add to the amount you spend.

Internships are a great opportunity for participants to get first-hand experience in almost every aspect of the day to day operation of a not-for-profit animal care and research facility. There is simply no better way to get this kind of experience! You don't have to be majoring in biology, or have a lot of animal experience. What we're looking for is a positive attitude and a willingness to learn. Come join us for a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Interns are required to submit an application for consideration. This includes the following document, plus support materials.
(Download PDF Internship Application)

What You Will Learn
Annual Activity Schedule

Internships last a minimum of two months, with many interns choosing a three month stay. Longer stays can sometimes be arranged. Interns are required to work for the Park. Interns are also allowed to pursue research projects in their free time. However, since interns work long days, doing research on top of the work load would require a lot of personal initiative. Intern jobs are varied and performed under all types of conditions (extreme cold to extreme heat, rain), and include helping in the office, grounds work, handling animal carcasses, giving tours and working with the public. Interns generally work seven days a week. The program is intense, and only those with enthusiasm, willingness to do anything needed, and stamina should apply. The fee for a 2-3 month internship is $495, which assists Wolf Park in its ability to offer onsite living facilities. (It does not include food or transportation.)

Wolf Park offers little formal or structured education for practicums or interns. Therefore, participants need to be self motivated, outgoing, and capable of working without close supervision. The practicum program is most useful for people who have definite research or study goals in mind, or for those with limited amount of time available to spend here. Internships are better suited for those who want to gain hands on experience, possibly dabble in research, explore different aspects of animal-related careers, or those who simply want to experience working for a non-profit, educational organization and learning about wolves. If neither of these educational opportunities interests you or your time is very limited, Wolf Park does offer an assortment of seminars which last only 1-5 days.

The work schedule for interns at Wolf Park is such that it is impossible to work simultaneously at another job outside the Park. The intense work schedule of interns is not suitable for everyone. But those willing to work long hours are rewarded by a sense of accomplishment, and a feeling of having greatly assisted in the functioning of a non-profit organization. Those who have doubts about working upwards of 55 hours per week for 9 weeks or more, should seriously consider the practicum program, rather than the internship.

Both interns and practicums usually get limited opportunities to interact with Wolf Park's resident socialized wolves. However, due to safety concerns, as well as other considerations, this is a very small part of the experience of studying and working at Wolf Park. If your only real interest is in handling wolves, this program is not appropriate for you.

Interns participate in the operation of the Park during special events and open hours, maintain the grounds, and assist with care for the animals after open hours. Besides working for the Park, interns have the opportunity to participate in staff educational lectures, assist with observational wolf research if here during the winter, and will have access to the Park's educational library and other resources, including our resident staff, who are always available to answer questions.

Participants reside in a communal house on the grounds, which includes television, internet access, laundry facilities and a kitchen with shared dishes. Food and transportation are not included. Bringing your own transportation is highly recommended, as Wolf Park is not really within walking distance from any stores, restaurants, or hotels. Operational policies will apply (see our housing policies)

Interns are given a Wolf Park staff shirt to wear while they perform their duties. Additional shirts will be available at cost. At the end of the internship interns are given a certificate of completion, and a one-year single membership to Wolf Park.

At Wolf Park you can learn:

Observation techniques, and the interpretation of animal behavior.
To distinguish individual animals.
To distinguish individual behavior patterns and the contexts in which they occur.
To keep notes and records of your observations, creating a journal, and the use of additional references.
To use proper terms and their abbreviations in recording observations.
Maintenance of wild animals in captivity -- with special emphasis on the behavioral and psychological needs of animals.
Awareness of an animal's world from its perspective, rather than from the anthropomorphic point of view.
Many other skills such as road maintenance, use of lawn equipment, and skills for working with the public.

As an intern you will also:

Have a lot of time to observe the wolves before and after work.
Have the opportunity to perform approved research projects, outside working hours.
Be able to have extremely limited hands on experience with the wolves.
Learn how non-profit, educational facilities operate by working for Wolf Park.
Learn about public speaking through experience, as well as practice working with the public.

What you are responsible for bringing to Wolf Park:

A desire to learn.
A positive attitude.
The maturity level and personal drive to work/study unsupervised.
Flexibility and cooperation.
The maturity to work safely around wild animals.

ANNUAL ACTIVITY SCHEDULE

The following is a general monthly schedule to help prospective interns and practicums decide when they may want to stay at Wolf Park.

January Closed to the public except on Howl Nights. The wolves are becoming more active and we prepare for the breeding season. January, February, and March are a good time for observing behavior. Quite cold weather.	July Open to the public six days a week. Puppies are still being raised by human parents. Hot weather.
February Closed to the public except for Howl Night. The wolves are at their most active, and breeding season is in full swing. Quite cold still.	August Open to the public six days a week. Puppies are reintroduced to the pack. Hot weather.
March Closed to the public except for Howl Night. Breeding season is over, and we wait for the puppies to be born*. The wolves are still active. Not as cold, but snow still possible.	September Open to the public six days a week. Can be hot, but starting to cool off.
April Closed to the public except for Howl Night. The puppies are born and raised by human parents. The activity level of the wolves is dropping. Rainy and still chilly outside.	October Open to the public six days a week. Getting nicer out, but rain can begin.
May Open to the public six days a week. Puppies are being raised by human parents. Getting warmer, still may be wet.	November Open to the public six days a week, but visitation is dropping way off. Getting cold and wet outside.
June Open to the public six days a week. Puppies are still being raised by human parents. Getting hot weather now.	December Closed to the public except for Howl Night. Wolf activity level is increasing. Winter arrives.
NOTE: We may or may not have puppies in any particular year, and they may or may not stay living at Wolf Park as described here. Inquire for details when you arrange your internship or practicum.

Learn More:
Internship Application Process
Wolf Park Housing and Policies
Visa Information