Musk Ox Farm Internship

Musk Ox Farm Internship 

The Musk Ox Farm is searching for upbeat individuals who are willing to work hard and learn about this arctic ambassador at the only facility of this type in the world. Applicants must be patient and do well in stressful situations. This is a physically demanding job, with lots of walking and time on your feet every day in varying Alaskan weather conditions. Summertime conditions are most often 40ºF-70ºF range and may have long periods of extended rain or surprisingly hot and sunny conditions. Applicants will be working directly under the supervision of the herd manager and education director. Interns will work individually and as part of a team. 

We currently care for 74 musk oxen on 75 acres of land. We promote gentle handling which requires patience, confidence, and compassion. Weekly weighing and trips to the barn for care and combing are accomplished by herding musk oxen on foot. Successful applicants will be confident and, most importantly, not aggressive working with our herd. You will learn to work with musk oxen and see that each has its own personality, which will help you to learn how different animals respond to different stimuli. Herd health is our main priority. You will be learning basic husbandry including the nutritional and environmental needs of musk oxen. If the situation arises you will be assisting in the treatment of sick or injured musk oxen as necessary. To assure a lifetime of low-stress interactions with our herd staff, socializing calves is one or the largest priorities here on the farm. We teach our young animals that they are safe and to be comfortable with staff. By building mutual respect we make it possible to accomplish our work while employing gentle handling protocols throughout their lifetimes. There is daily record keeping of hay, supplemental feed, feeding schedules and calf observations.  

April and May are the busy months of our combing season when we harvest their valuable qiviut fiber. We hand-comb all our musk oxen for their qiviut (underwool) and record every ounce as it is collected. Basic daily duties include, but are not limited to: feeding, cleaning, behavior observations, building and fixing fences, collecting browse, and ground maintenance. Most of your time will be spent outdoors rain, snow or shine. During April and May, with combing and calving, we will be working odd and possibly long hours which may include split shifts to accommodate agritourism at the farm during hours that the farm is open to the public. Interns will be involved in all aspects of the nonprofit learning about our business, membership, and educational programs. Interns will learn interpretive techniques to apply while working with the education department. This will include answering guest questions, helping with summer camp, behind the scenes tours, and other aspects of the organization based upon the goals of the individual intern. Time will be spent learning about the retail arm of the nonprofit and what goes into marketing and selling the fiber they have helped to comb. 

Interns are needed from mid-April through August. Preference is given to those available for the entire season, especially when starting mid to late April. Please inform us regarding your availability in your cover letter. The schedule is intended to be 40 hours per week, however, as a working farm this can vary. Basic housing is provided on-site, as well as a $500 per month stipend.  

Qualifications: 

• We are seeking individuals who are pursuing a university degree in animal science, wildlife biology or education, or are looking for experience prior to pursuing advanced degrees in same or veterinary medicine. Consideration will be given for other relevant education.
• Motivated and self-starting
• Strong work ethic
• Previous work with ungulates/ruminates is preferable
• Patience with animals is required
• Patience with colleagues is also required while working and sharing living spaces
• Ability to remain beneficial and flexible with unexpected events and capable of reacting quickly, with a level head
• Take and follow directions well (including following the directions at the bottom of this document!).
• Able to work alone or with others in all conditions
• Must have own health insurance.