Safe Haven Wildlife Sanctuary Internship Program
Join our Animal Care Team! Gain valuable experience and training alongside our Animal Keepers in the care of our many rescued residents – including big cats, bears, cougars, African servals, bobcats, caracals, and native wildlife.
Our internship program provides a unique opportunity to gain experience in exotic animal husbandry and further develop skills for animal care careers and those pursuing related fields in animal conservation, animal welfare and biology.
Safe Haven Wildlife Sanctuary located in northern Nevada, provides lifelong care to exotics and displaced wildlife. Many of our rescues are from surrendered private owners, seizures and facility closures due to substandard care or native wildlife not eligible for reintroduction.
Safe Haven is accredited by GFAS, the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, meeting over 500 animal care recommendations and confirmed by a site visit.
Interns will gain extensive experience in animal husbandry including diet preparation and feedings, dispensing medications, habitat cleaning, animal enrichment and training, habitat building and interacting with the public with informal tour presentations with emphasis on the exotic pet trade and captive wildlife crisis.
We are currently interviewing for both our 2025 spring/summer internships.
For the safety of both staff and our rescued residents, we are a no contact organization.
These are unpaid positions, however, we do provide free onsite housing and a competitive $400 to $600 per month stipend. All of our full-time staff were previous interns and there is future potential opportunity when we need to fill a new paid animal keeper position.
To apply, please email a cover letter, resume, two letters of recommendation and specify which internship you are applying for. Please submit to: safehavenwildlife1@gmail.com.
Additional criteria
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age
Must have own vehicle and a valid driver’s license.
Must be willing to work in inclement weather.
Must be able to lift 50 pounds.
5-day work week with 2 consecutive days off.
Must be flexible with scheduling and work hours.
Must be COVID vaccinated and have current Tetanus vaccination.
“My six month internship at Safe Haven was an incredible experience. It taught me so much about working at a GFAS accredited sanctuary and caring for all the residents here. I gained experience working with a variety of big and small cats, foxes, coyotes, black bears, desert tortoises, and macaws. In addition to basic animal care (feeding, changing waters, giving meds, cleaning, etc.), staff and interns are always kept busy with a variety of tasks, such as providing enrichment, giving educational tours, and building new enclosures. Not only did I learn a lot personally, I also gained a lot of experience sharing my knowledge with others through leading tours of the sanctuary and talking to people about both our animals as individuals and the systemic problems facing wildlife in captivity, from the exotic “pet” trade to the exploitative entertainment industry.
Spending time with the animals taught me so much about each individual, their behaviors, and my deepest interest, their psyches. My ultimate career goal is to specialize in the psychological health of sanctuary animals, as so many experience adverse or traumatic backgrounds before reaching their forever home. My internship gave me a great introduction to caring for animals with a wide variety of histories and seeing firsthand how an animal’s past experiences can shape their personality and behaviors, as well as how an animal who came from a terrible situation can blossom into a confident individual in a safe sanctuary environment. My favorite part of my internship was building relationships with all the residents. It was such a rewarding experience to gain their trust, get to know their quirks and unique personalities, and learn to recognize their moods and preferences. Finally, I can’t talk about my time here without mentioning my amazing coworkers! It was so much fun to get to know the other staff and interns and connect over shared interests. I made so many unforgettable memories here, and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to have been a Safe Haven intern!”
– Maggie Topalian, Safe Haven Intern
“The internship with Safe Haven was not only an incredible opportunity for me, but a great entrance into the world of animal care in a way not many people are afforded. Being able to work so closely with exotic animals and learn about their care as it varies between different species is the best way to prepare to care for any animals you may work with. The people are beyond kind and teach you how to do things, including the purpose for each protocol and procedure. Lynda Sugasa, the founder and executive director of Safe Haven, has the knowledge and compassion necessary for animal care and allows every opportunity to take on new roles and responsibilities to further your expertise in the field of wildlife care. She works closely with her staff to ensure the best care for each animal as well as the comfort and growth of every animal keeper.
In my time at Safe Haven, I felt my voice was heard when I offered to take on new roles, and my questions were answered when I wanted to learn and understand. In an internship, the purpose is personal growth in the field of interest. I felt Safe Haven had a grasp on this in a way, not many opportunities I had before did. The clear goal of Safe Haven is the care of the animals and the education of the public. Anyone presented with the opportunity to intern here will come away with priceless experience, valuable contacts, and a furthered love of animals and those who care for them.”
– Sam Tappan, Safe Haven Intern (January- June 2023)
Internships
We offer year-around internships to graduates seeking to gain hands-on experience in animal science.