We are now taking interns to work with our professional game capture company for an extended period of time (one week to one month).  Interns are expected to work six days per week helping with wildlife captures in free-ranging situations when we have capture jobs, and taking part in game ranch management duties when we do not have capture work.

The work can be VERY physically demanding, but is also very rewarding in terms of experiences.

Spaces are limited to 4 interns per week and a maximum of 4 weeks per person. 

TYPES OF CAPTURES AND WORK

The capture work changes day to day, week to week, so we cannot promise what captures you will be participating in or how often.  Captures can range from a night-time lion capture to catching several hundred antelope in a day. 

Typical capture work includes building mass capture sites, participating in mass captures (running 'curtains', preparing animals for transport), ground crew for immobilizations, moving immobilized animals, loading animals onto trucks, obtaining tissue and/or blood samples for research and quarantine.

Captures depend on many factors such as weather, helicopter permits, animal translocation permits, and many things out of our control.  Therefore, there will be days with no capture work, and interns will be expected to work on game ranch management projects.  These may include game counting, brush clearing, fence building, etc.

We work with dangerous wild animals in free-ranging situations. We try our best to ensure your safety, however, you participate in captures at your own risk and you must act responsibly.

Our work days can be very long, often from sunup to sundown, or longer.  Interns can plan on many days being twelve hours or longer.  Interns will have one day off per week for rest and relaxation.

COSTS

The internship costs $700 per week, with a minimum of one week (6 work days per week).  This includes:

* pick-up from the local airport

* accommodations for 7 days per week

* meals for 7 days per week

It does not include airfare or any alcoholic beverages.

PARTICIPATION

Participation is as extensive as possible, limited only by field conditions, the species being handled, and safety issues. We limit each week to four interns to ensure maximum experience and participation.

ACADEMIC CREDITS

Academic credit at the undergraduate or graduate levels, as well as Continuing Education Units (CEUs), are available through Western Kentucky University for participation in this internship.  Please visit http://bioweb.wku.edu/Africa/ or email Michael.Stokes@wku.edu for more information.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THIS INTERNSHIP AND OUR WILDLIFE CAPTURE COURSE

Our courses are geared toward teaching -- both theory and practical aspects of wildlife capture are covered.  We have lectures on immobilization procedures, drugs, darting equipment, mass captures, human safety, species differences.  And we have hands-on practice with darting, human emergency procedures, and the captures themselves.  Because it is a course, we make sure that everyone gets to do many different jobs during the captures, and we are always there to answer questions.

The internship is a working experience.  There are no lectures or hands-on demos, just the daily work of a capture team.  Some days there are no captures scheduled and the interns will be clearing brush, some days the capture work is just digging post-holes and stringing rope.  Unlike in the course where you are expected to be an eager student, in the internship your main function is to provide an extra set of hands. 

The ideal situation, which a lot of students are opting for, is to take the course and then stay on for a few weeks, even a month, putting what you've learned into practice.

AGE AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

All participants in the internship MUST be eighteen years of age or older.   Interns with animal and wildlife experience are preferred.   Interns must be physically fit, enjoy hard physical work, and like the outdoors.

SAFETY

Wildlife work is inherently dangerous.  We work with very dangerous wild  animals in captive and free-ranging situations.  We try our best to ensure your  safety, however, you participate at your own risk and you must act responsibly.   

ROUGHING IT

You will work in rough conditions.  Be prepared to be up very early,  working outside in the sun, doing physical work for most of the day. During  captures, the team often does NOT have time for regular meals and interns are expected to adjust accordingly.

ACCOMMODATIONS AND FOOD

Interns and interns will stay in a dormitory style setting or will camp.  Camping equipment will be provided.

TIME OF YEAR

Wildlife capture in South Africa is limited by weather conditions.  Extremely  hot weather precludes safe capture for the animals.  Internships are best done during our winter months: April through September (summer in the Northern Hemisphere).

REGISTRATION

You can register on our website or send us an email (safari@parawild.co.za) to request the application form. Either method will reserve your place for 30 days.

DEPOSIT

A twenty-five percent deposit will be required to secure your place for the  Internship ($175 per week you plan to be there). This is non-refundable should you decide to cancel your participation.

The only exception to the non-refundable status of the deposit is if the weeks you request are full. In this case, the deposit will be returned you.

The balance of the fee is due 30 days prior to the start of the internship. Places are reserved on a 'First-come, First served' basis.

CANCELLATION POLICY

The twenty-five percent deposit is non-refundable.  Cancellations received  after full payment but before the internship begins will be refunded all money  except the deposit.

BALANCE OF TUITION

The balance of tuition will be due 30 days before the start of the internship.