Job Description

Animal and Research Intern Placements

Woburn Safari Park is offering students the opportunity to join us for industry placements on our animal and research departments. The placements will enable students to gain husbandry skills and experience with a range of animals through working alongside the animal keeping team. Students should be studying a relevant course that will support a year in industry. We require a commitment of 6 to 10 months for these placements, ideally 5 days a week to gain the most out of the placement, but this can be flexible.

Key tasks:

Animal husbandry including mucking out, preparation and provision of food, provision of enrichment, maintenance of houses and enclosures Interaction with guests through manning enclosures, providing keeper talks or patrolling sections Ensuring that correct safety regulations are followed at all times Gain hands on experience in the husbandry of exotic animals Gain knowledge of the management of captive exotic animals Provide excellent customer service and visitor education

The successful student should have the following:

Previous experience working with animals - can be with non-exotic animals Excellent communication skills and relevant IT skills Understanding and appreciation of health and safety Strong interest in animal management and conservation Hard working, good time management, working independently and within a team A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle to attend the placement

Research opportunity

There is scope to carry out a research project as part of this role that can contribute towards a final year dissertation. Any research projects must follow Woburn Safari Park ethical and research guidelines and a research proposal must be submitted and approved before any research can take place. This can be discussed during the placement.

This is a voluntary placement, with no payment offered and may include working weekends. Students will need to financially support themselves for the duration of the placement. Students MUST have a full driving licence and access to a vehicle to reach the park, there is no public transport. Regrettably we do not offer accommodation but can advise on local student accommodation.

Placements are available in the following areas:

African Reserves x2 - this area cares for white rhino, a range of antelopes, giraffe, monkeys, zebra, ostrich and camels Carnivores x2 - this area cares for African lions, North American black bears, timber wolves and Amur tigers. Animal Encounters x2 - this area gives cares for a range of taxonomic groups including birds, small carnivores, primates, small mammals, reptiles, invertebrates and domestic hoof stock. Elephants x2 - this area cares for Asian elephants Conservation & Research Intern x1 - assisting with conservation projects and animal research throughout the park, 3 days a week.
To comply with Health & Safety Regulations, all employees working with animals must be 18 or over.

Reference:

OCT20255604

Location:

Woburn

Job Type:

Voluntary

Job Type Time:

Variable Hours

Salary:

Voluntary

Closing Date:

Sun, Nov 30, 2025