The Gibbon Husbandry internship has been discontinued. For information about PDX Wildlife, please visit us at www.pdxwildlife.com
Gibbon Husbandry Internship
Deadline: In order to be considered we must receive your application two months in advance of your presumed starting date.
Decision Notification: Within one month of received application
Cost:
Availability
Interns will be accepted as needed on a rolling basis for a well-qualified undergraduate senior or already graduated biology/conservation major to work as an intern in captive gibbon husbandry.
Location and Job Description
You will be based in Mae Sot Thailand, working at the Highland Farm Wildlife sanctuary. The interns primary job will be food preparation for gibbons and monkeys, maintenance of enclosures, helping construct new enclosures, and general care of gibbons and monkeys. Other duties may include include leading visitors around the sanctuary.
Conducting independent research on your free time is possible but must be approved ahead of time.
Conservation Focus
This internship provides a well-rounded and practical experience perfect for building a career in international biological conservation, zoo biology, or animal husbandry.
Importance
Gibbons are endangered apes with most species classified as critically endangered meaning they have had a habitat reduction greater than 90% in the past decade. Like so many endangered species, it is precisely the gibbons’ unique and remarkable nature that leads humans to covet them as pets. Along with widespread deforestation throughout their native Southeast Asia, hunters pose a major threat to them in the wild. The hunters kill mother gibbons in order to steal the babies which they sell as pets to urban families and tourist bars. Reared in captivity, they can never return to their native jungle homes. Most of the gibbons at Highland Farm are refugees from this profitable trade. Many came from families ill equipped to handle the needs of their gibbon pets. Some were severely neglected, others physically abused. Here they are nursed back to health and provided with the space and nutrition they need. Interns can work directly with the gibbons, aiding in their care while learning more about these increasingly rare primates.
Local Living
Accommodation is a guest house with electric hot water heater, electricity, and internet. You will be expected to keep up with daily housekeeping on your own. Your meals will be prepared for you by local staff.
Interns are expected to work independently, with only minimal supervision, managing their own time and meeting any deadlines given to you. You will usually be able to take at least one-two days off each week, dependent on current work priorities. However since the animals need to be fed every day, 3x a day, you will need to arrange ahead of time.
On days off you can hike, go wildlife watching or take trips to other cities but this will all be on your own money and you will be required back at work as per your arranged schedule. There are various cultural events you may attend with local friends, such as festivals and national holidays, which can provide a fascinating and very personal insight into local traditions.
Medical facilities are extremely basic; anything beyond a minor medical emergency may require international evacuation where full medical facilities are available. A charter plane would be required for evacuation, and all interns are required to have adequate insurance to cover any costs that ensue, since a full medical evacuation back to Europe or the United States could cost up to 100,000 US$. Thailand has a tropical climate and steep terrain which can be very physically demanding. Applicants must be in adequate health to undertake this internship. We will need relevant medical history and proof of travel insurance if selected.
Language
You will be expected and encouraged to learn some of the Thai language in order to be integrated as fully as possible into the community during your stay. This will come quickly with daily immersion and opportunities to practice with local staff. It is a good idea to bring a dictionary and audio learning materials with you in order to facilitate your studies.
Intern Contribution
Interns are required to work for a minimum of 3 months and pay a contribution of 26 USD per day or 2,500 USD for the entire 3 months. This funding will contribute to the individual’s accommodation and research‐ associated costs during the internship (see below).
All interns are required to cover their own travel to the country (flights around 1200 USD to Bangkok from Portland Oregon) and insurance. We require proof of insurance before starting of the internship. Your food expenses while at the sanctuary is included. Meals are arranged and prepared by the staff.
All interns are required to get their Thai Visa on their own. These can be obtained via sending your passport and visa application materials to the closest Thai consulate. Please contact your local consulate for further details. It is possible to get a volunteer visa for three months but a tourist visa is also fine.
Below is an example of where fund allocations from an intern contribution go and may not be the exact distribution of funds based on changes in circumstance and program needs: Prices are per day.
Accommodation (apartment, food, local transportation, and utilities at the sanctuary): 22.78 USD
Administrative overhead, staff salaries: 3.22 USD
How to Apply
Candidates should send in a CV and cover letter to Julia Ruppell two months in advance of the month they would like to begin their internship. Send to: Ruppell@pdx.edu
Applicants will be interviewed and chosen within a month of their application date.
Please state in your application:
– Where you heard about PDXWildlife
– Details of the experience you have either living, working, or traveling in developing countries
– Your knowledge of different languages especially your level of English & Thai
– Your qualification as it pertains to research involving captive animals, animal behavior, or wildlife conservation
– The date you would like to start your internship. Interns are required to work a minimum of three months with an option to extend.
Applicants may also be interested in reading our blog and joining our Facebook group for recent news and photos from our programs.
Follow this link to read more about Highland Farm:
http://pdxwildlife.com/2012/02/13/highland-farm-gibbon-sanctuary/
