Voluntariado: cuidado de cachorros de focas!

Seal Pup Rehabilitation Internships

Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre is a registered not for profit organization operating under permits from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada and the Ministry of Water, Land and Air.

Recipient of the Islands Trust Environmental Stewardship Award, IWNCC´s focus is on the rescue and rehabilitation of orphaned Harbour Seals. For the 10th year, IWNCC will be offering summer internships. In the past, students have earned academic credit toward their degrees through the completion of these internships and the centre is also open to the creation and execution of short term, noninvasive research projects by the interns. There will be 14 internships awarded this summer and fall each lasting 8 to 12 weeks.

The internships are on a voluntary basis, however comfortable housing and a food stipend are provided. Interns are accepted internationally and are responsible for their own transportation to and from British Columbia.

Interns will work directly under marine mammal rehabilitation specialists and can expect to learn the following:
-Safe rescue and handling of Harbour Seal pups.
-Proper restraint techniques. Stabilizing critical patients and new arrivals.
-Food preparation through all stages of the rehabilitation process.
-Gavage (tube) feeding, force feeding and hand feeding techniques.
-Proper hygiene and isolation protocols to prevent the spread of disease.
-Administration of oral medications.
-Behavioral and medical observation and proper record keeping.
-Natural history of marine mammal species.
-Fundamentals of how, why and when to administer alternative remedies such as homeopathy and Chinese herbs.
-Response to the rescue hotline and public interface as well as the logistics of coordinating rescues from many remote locations.
-General care of many other indigenous avian and mammalian species.

The deadline for applications is March 1, 2008.

For more information and to download an application, please visit our web site at: www.sealrescue.org