What are the responsibilities and job description for the Animal Care Intern position at WonderLab Museum of Science?
Position: Animal Care Intern
Position Purpose: The exhibits department at WonderLab works diligently to provide and maintain the large variety of exhibits enjoyed by approximately 80,000 visitors per year. WonderLab's live animal collection consists of reptiles, amphibians, a 300-gallon salt water aquarium, and arthropods ranging from honeybees to cockroaches to scorpions.
Animal Exhibits Interns receive hands-on experience in the many aspects of husbandry including habitat maintenance and repair, medicine administration, medical and behavioral observation, food preparation, quality of life assessment as well as exhibit improvement and creation. Animal Exhibits Interns will also do educational outreach through the facilitation of hands-on interactions with museum guests doing live animal demonstrations.
Reports To: Animal Exhibits Manager
Status: Open
Term and Hours: 2026 Summer
May 12, 2026 – August 15, 2026
2 general animal exhibits positions available
10 hours per week
Application Deadline: April 15th, 2026
Term and Hours: 2026-2027 Academic Year Internship
August 19, 2026 –May 11, 2027
3 general animal exhibits positions available
7-10 hours per week over 2 or 3 shifts
Application Deadline: July 21, 2026
Compensation:
Volunteer/unpaid or
work-study if eligible or
class credit
Benefits:
A WonderLab Dual Membership which has reciprocity with other ASTC museums
20% off in the museum gift store
Time off during school breaks
Flexible scheduling
A multi-faceted internship experience with opportunities to personalize your experience based on your interests and skills
Specific Duties:
Daily Animal husbandry including feeding, bathing, morphometric measurements etc
Maintenance of display habitats including lighting and heating elements, cleaning hides and climbers, changing out substrate etc
Monitoring habitats for ideal conditions
Basic Medicine administration and health assessments
Facilitate one on one interactions between animal ambassadors and the public
Facilitate educational outreach for classrooms, visitor groups or programs related to evolution and animal science
Upkeep and organization of animal resources and care logs including extensive data input and management
Completion of 1-2 animal specific projects (Class Credit Interns only)
Qualifications:
Interest in biology/animals
Reliable with a strong work ethic
Self-motivated
Excellent communication skills, especially written
Attention to detail and accuracy
Ability to lift 50 lbs and comfort with physical labor
Experience working with vertebrates and invertebrates is a plus
Weekend availability: all AY students are required to work our Bugfest event in the Fall
Enjoys researching and creating educational materials
Questions: Emily Silvas, Emily@wonderlab.org (email only)