Elmwood Park Zoo offers 3 different animal care Internships, The Education Ambassador Care (AMB), the Conservation Education (CE) and the Zookeeping (ZK). All 3 Elmwood Park Zoo  internships provide interns with some level of hands-on exotic animal care experience. Please note that no EPZ internships provide the opportunity to work directly with our big cats.

For those exploring animal careers, the CE internship offers an introduction to the conservation career world and introductory exotic animal care experience caring for our Goats, Sheep, Donkeys & Chickens in our Barn directly alongside keeper staff. CE Interns also spend their shifts inspiring conservation by directly engaging guests at exhibits, and in Elmwood Park Zoo’s Interactive Animal Experiences, including our Daily Giraffe Feedings, Bison feedings, Barn Contact Yard, and Walk through experience Harmony Hideaway. CE Interns are required to complete a Conservation Education Project during their internship.

The AMB internship is ideal for those with some level of previous animal care experience who want more advanced animal handling, care, and conservation education experience. AMB interns work directly hand in hand with our education keeper staff to care for the Zoo’s Ambassador Animal Collection, including domestic pets like rabbits and ferrets up to snakes, skinks, hedgehogs, a tenrec, a tegu, a tarantula, a skunk and an armadillo, among others. AMB interns also work up to learning the particular skill of educating utilizing a live animal collection. 

The ZK internship requires previous exotic animal care experience, and is designed for those who are looking to become a zookeeper in an AZA accredited facility. Our ZK interns work hand in hand with our exhibit animal keeper team to care for most of the exhibit animals in the zoo, from Poison Dart Frogs up to Bald Eagles, and Golden Lion Tamarins up to Giraffe and Bison. ZK Interns participate in every aspect of care including cleaning and maintenance, diet making, enrichment, and are able to observe or assist some training. ZK interns are required to complete an animal observation project during their internship.

Elmwood Park zoo internships are high responsibility, high reward.

Year round CE applicants must be able to complete a minimum of one single 10 hr shift per week, but 2 or more are encouraged. The zoo hours alter seasonally, but shifts for CE usually run 7:15 AM to 5 PM.

In Fall and Spring sessions, AMB and ZK interns are required to complete 2 full day shifts per week. In the Summer session, AMB & ZK Interns are required to complete 3 full day shifts per week. AMB Hours run 8 AM to 5 PM, ZK Hours run from 7 AM to 6 PM. During the Fall and Spring session, applicants cannot do both Saturday and Sunday Shifts. For shift number requirements, some special circumstances may be considered requiring less shifts per week.

There are shift openings 7 days per week. Shifts must be scheduled for regularly occurring days of the week, IE, all Tuesdays and Thursdays, for the session. Hours are not flexible. This internship is not paid or stipended, but students can work with staff in order to receive class credit. Interns work outdoors at least some of each shift in a variety of weather conditions and temperatures. All applicants must be prepared for long, very physically demanding shifts spent on their feet, and must be able to lift at least 50 lbs. If accepted into the internship, All EPZ Volunteers and interns are required to produce PA Child Abuse Clearances, Criminal Background Clearances, and a negative TB test.