Wildlife Rehabilitation and Medical Fellowship

Job Title: Wildlife Rehabilitation and Medical Fellow 2025

Reports to: Director of Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Managers, or Rehabilitation Staff/Team Leaders

Supervises: None

Classification: Paid Fellowship

Salary: Stipend of $250/week or $175/week with rental-free housing, if needed, on WildCare’s Property. Housing only available until filled.

Fellowship starting dates are flexible between March 2025 through June 2025

Term: At least 14 weeks

WildCare Oklahoma is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that provides wildlife and conservation education, technical assistance in resolving human animal conflicts, medical and rehabilitative care to ill, injured, and orphaned wildlife, and members of the public a place to bring native wildlife struggling to survive with the goal of releasing healthy individuals back to nature. WildCare is the largest wildlife rehabilitation and education facility in Oklahoma and one of the largest in the U.S.  

The rehabilitation team is responsible for the daily care and rehabilitation of over 8,000 of Oklahoma’s injured, ill, and orphaned wildlife. Over 230 different species are brought to WildCare annually comprising mostly bird and mammal species, with some reptiles and amphibians represented.

Job Purpose:

WildCare is seeking wildlife rehabilitation & medical fellows to learn about and provide daily rehabilitative care to injured, ill, or orphaned wildlife. This is a paid, full-time fellowship with an established, high-volume wildlife rehabilitation center. You will receive training on animal care protocols and hands-on experience, guided by the professional staff, in WildCare’s wildlife clinic and in the rehabilitative care of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Learn and implement patient protocols by species.
• Provide all daily rehabilitative care for wildlife patients in assigned care areas, including feeding and cleaning, treatment, and monitoring patients’ progress.
• Assist with animal admissions, intake examinations, and patient record entries.
• Learn and implement room/department/nursery cleaning and disinfecting protocols and complete tasks proactively on daily center closing list.
• Observe animals’ condition and behavior and report to Rehabilitation Staff, Team Leaders, Rehabilitation Managers, or the Director of Rehabilitation.
• Provide direct support to the veterinary team in the wildlife hospital while learning about the basics of wildlife medicine. Assist with physical therapy and other medical procedures.
• Carry out maintenance projects at the facility and other projects assigned by Rehabilitation Staff, Team Leaders, Rehabilitation Managers, or the Director of Rehabilitation.
• Take pictures and videos for social media posts; send these to via Group Me app or to a designated email. As time permits, write social media posts and memes, or produce video for submission to marketing personnel (executive director) for use in social media channels.( All pictures or videos taken of WildCare patients while on property or during rescues/releases are the property of WildCare Oklahoma. WildCare gives permission to the individual taking said photos/videos to use these photos in future work with joint attribution to WildCare Oklahoma.)
• Carry out assigned releases.
• Participate in fellow meetings, rounds, training, and staff meetings.
• Participate in four assessments during fellowship to ensure adequate training and experience is occurring, provide and receive feedback from the Director of rehabilitation and other staff, and identify corrective actions on the part of WildCare or the fellow to ensure the best possible experience for the and the highest quality of work from the fellow.

As a fellow, you will have the opportunity to rotate through different departments of the facility to work with a collection of species; based on need, previous experience, and personal interest.

Qualifications:

• Must be willing to communicate proactively and productively and avoid communication detrimental to team morale or workplace productivity with all team members including WildCare’s dedicated volunteer corps.
• Must be willing to follow protocols and instructions to keep self, fellow staff and volunteers, and animals safe.
• Must be willing to learn and grow.
• Must be comfortable working around humane animal euthanasia
• Bachelor’s Degree or coursework  in Biology, Life Sciences, or related field preferred.
• Must have tetanus vaccinations.
• Rabies pre-vaccination strongly preferred; a $20/week increase in stipend will be provided with proof of this vaccination.
• Wildlife rehabilitation or other animal care experience is strongly preferred.
• Reliable personal vehicle and valid driver’s license required.

General Competencies: 

• Attendance and Dependability – Consistently at work and on time. Follows instructions and responds to management direction. Provides consistent, timely, high-quality work. Follows through on commitments. Uses time efficiently. Takes responsibility for own actions.
• Customer Service – Treats customers (internal and external) with respect and courtesy. Shows interest in, anticipates, and responds timely to customer needs and concerns. Responds appropriately to and resolves difficult and emotional situations. Seeks ways to improve service delivery.
• Diversity – Enthusiastically works with all employees, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, culture, and age. Values contributions of people from diverse backgrounds. Demonstrates respect for opinions and ideas of others. Shows awareness of and sensitivity to cultural and individual values.
• Ethics – Tells truth and is honest in all dealings. Avoids situations and actions considered inappropriate or which present a conflict of interest. Upholds organizational values. Does not misrepresent self or use position or authority for personal gain.
• Teamwork – Listens and responds constructively to others’ views. Gives and welcomes feedback. Helps others when they need it. Shares expertise. Acknowledges others’ effort and contribution. Puts success of the team above own interests. Creates a positive work environment.

Essential Functions, Physical Demands and Work Environment: 

The majority of WildCare’s facilities are outdoors. Therefore, candidates for this job must be able to:

• Work indoors and outdoors.
• Participate in team lifting of animals, weighing up to 300 pounds. Must be able to lift 50 pounds on their own.
• Safely restrain dangerous animals.
• Walk, stand, kneel, and crouch indoors and outdoors on uneven terrain in a wide range of weather conditions.
• Physically exert themselves at times.
• Use all senses every day to evaluate patients—vision, hearing, and hand-eye coordination will be essential for examining and working with wildlife species.
• Understand there may be potential exposure to isoflurane, x-rays, hazardous chemicals, zoonotic and other contagious diseases, and medical drugs. Follow all policies and procedures to mitigate exposure to hazards.
• Use a computer to admit patients, update patient records, conduct research to help members of the public, and communicate with WildCare’s constituency.

You will be working 40 – 50 hours weeks with regular days off depending on patient load. (WildCare generally does a rotating schedule with three days of work followed by three days off.)

Expectations:

WildCare expects their fellows to work hard, be dedicated to learning, and maintain a positive attitude in a fast-paced environment. Fellows must be able to communicate effectively and treat others with respect. Fellows should serve as role models for the compassionate and dedicated care animal patients need and deserve. Fellows should be detail-oriented, should be able to recognize their limitations, and know when to ask for help from staff. Fellows should be willing to give their time to ensure all animal patients receive the care they deserve and to see all jobs through to completion.