Animal Care Attendant
Summary: The purpose of this position is to assist with the day-to-day husbandry of the Nature Center’s live education ambassador animals including raptors, reptiles, amphibians, fish, mammals and invertebrates.
Duties:
- Opening, cleaning and sanitizing bird aviaries and comfort working around a variety of avian species.
- Performing aquarium water changes using a syphoning water vacuum.
- Checking and maintaining exhibit temperatures and humidity levels to ensure that animal living conditions are met. As well as misting and making other adjustments to humidity and temperature levels as needed.
- Herbivorous and Carnivorous diet preparation following best practices in food safety.
- Feeding out diets and rations to animals following guidelines placed for each individual.
- Distribute enrichment as needed and assigned.
- Understanding and ethogramming the behavior of animals in order to understand their needs and react appropriately.
- Work with staff to learn regular healthy behaviors and signs of pain and disease of the animals. Timely reporting to the Animal Program Coordinator when there is an abnormal behavior or potential health condition.
- Keeping accurate records of what you did with the animals, their behavior, and anything else important. This recordkeeping will be both paper and computer based.
Shift Information:
- Weekly shifts are available 7 days of the week.
- Shifts are available each day during the peak warm season:
- 7:30am – 9:30am
- During Fall and winter hours these times may change.
- Volunteers must be able to commit to the full 2-hour time slot.
- Weekly commitment for a minimum of six months (summer positions for students and seasonal residents).
Shift Information:
- Weekly shifts are available Monday through Friday and will span 2 hours anywhere between 9:00am and 3:00pm.
Attire and Equipment:
- Closed-toe shoes
- Personal protective equipment is required for some tasks (provided by SNCO)
- This position may involve the use of hand tools provided by SNCO.
Qualifications:
- Must be aged 18 or older
- Must provide proof of a current tetanus vaccination
- Clean background check
Physical Requirements:
- Stand, walk, and/or sit for extended periods.
- Lift, hold and move some objects up to 25 pounds.
- Walk over uneven terrain (gravel, wood chips).
- Climbing and standing on a step stool or short ladder.
- Stoop, kneel, reach, crouch, or crawl.
