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Adriana Pastor
What can I say about the 3 months I spent at Critter Care this past summer that hasn’t been said? I could talk about the different types of animals I worked with, or what an awe inspiring experience it is to work with animals, particularly wild ones, However, I’m going to go out on a lib and assume that if you are considering this internship, then you already have an idea as to how gratifying it is to observe and work with animals. Instead I put it to you like this: Raising animals is like raising children in fast forward, I can’t explain it better than that. It’s exhausting, heart-wrenching, gratifying and beautiful all at once, but there isn’t always a happy ending. So, are you ready to be a parent?
It’s 4:50am, you’re getting up for the first of your nine feedings of the day (and that’s only for this one creature). You’ve been up at this hour every day for over a week, and going to bed just after your last feed, around 1:00 am. It’s still dark, everyone is asleep, in fact you begin to think you’re the only person or thing awake on the entire West Coast at this hour. You walk into the nursery, milk in hand, to find that your baby opossum, is still curled up asleep. She’s not quite the size of your thumb, and it breaks your heart seeing just how fragile this little animal is, and to know her welfare is dependent solely on you. You wake her up, feed her, and then she proceeds to fall asleep just in the crook of your neck, and you don’t have the heart to wake her up again to put her back in her incubator. Finally you do, and you remember that you have time to get in another 2 hours of sleep before you start your next feeding and officially commence your day.
If you aren’t turned off yet, and you can already picture yourself doing this, then you’re on the right track. However, there are some things that everyone should know about interning at a place like Critter Care:
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The hours are long, this is no joke. There is no set working day, you are finished “working” when your last feeding is done, and everything in the house is in order. This can be anywhere from 9pm – 1am, particularly during the spring/summer, and your day starts, at the latest by 8/9am. This is a long day, especially when you are working non-stop for the greater part of the day.
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The internship involves hard work. Everyone out there likes to think of themselves as a hard worker, but each person’s idea of hard work is different. Let me give you an idea of what hard work means in the context of this internship. Your day will consist mainly of feedings, cleaning cages, cleaning the centre (top to bottom), laundry, food preparation, and between all that repairs and yard work around the property. The day doesn’t end until these things are done, and you won’t find time to sit around and play with the animals, trust me.
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There is a time and emotional commitment involved in raising animals, just like in raising children. If you plan on raising animals such as raccoons, you should plan on staying for up to 3 months, so that they will be weaned by the time you leave. Not only that, but once you have bonded with your babies, whatever type of animals they are, you will want to be there to see them all the way through to release, nothing is more rewarding.
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Wildlife rehabilitation centres are not petting zoos; these animals, when healthy and mature, will be released back into the wild. That means minimal contact with the animals by those individuals not acting as surrogate parent to the animal. It you want a job petting and playing with wildlife, this is not it!
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You will be living 24 hrs a day where you work, in close quarters with all other interns. Personal space is minimal, and respect for your colleagues is a must. This means learning to be a good housemate (particularly if you have never lived on your own), and being cordial at the least, even when you’re cranky and tired.
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Lastly, you are VERY VERY LUCKY to be there. Not everyone has the opportunity to spend time raising and working with orphaned and injured wild mammals. Treat the experience as such, and you will be rewarded.
All that being said, my experience as an intern was indescribable. Working with animals is a passion for me, and this is the type of work I see myself continuing with indefinitely. I want to thank Gail and Richard Martin, the supervisors, “the ladies”, and those interns and volunteers that made this experience more than worthwhile. I hope I make it back to Critter Care again, even if just to visit. I think you know you’re where you’re supposed to be in life when no matter what happens, you have something to laugh about and the right people to share the laughs with. Thanks for the laughs and everything else.
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