Pinniped Internship 2026

Overview

The goal of this internship is to provide a basic understanding of general husbandry of the animals located in the Pinniped Depart-ments of Wild Encounters. Students will gain hands-on experience in the field while learning the day-to-day responsibilities of a full-time keeper.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to assisting full-time keepers in preparing animal diets, cleaning and maintaining animal enclosures and exhibits, observing animals and reporting any behavioral changes, designing and delivering educational in-terpretation to the general public regarding animal behavior, habitat and conservation issues, maintaining area grounds and build-ings and performing other duties as assigned. Interns will also be required to complete various quizzes, trainings, projects, and a final reflection paper assigned by the department.

Duties may include:• Observes training sessions to gain a basic understanding of training fundamentals.• Assists with Pinniped enrichment program as needed – cleaning, placement, removal of enrichment items.• Adheres to all safety protocols within the Pinniped department and the Columbus Zoo.

Qualifications

• Student or recent graduate (2 years or less) in biology, zoology, psychology, or any similar related major.• 3.0 or above accumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.• Ability to develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with all Columbus Zoo Family of Parks team members and contacts.• Ability to work independently and effectively manage time.• Ability to maintain courteous and helpful behavior.• CPR/First Aid/AED certification preferred• Strong computer skills. Experience with MS Office preferred.• Must be neat in appearance and maintain courteous behavior at all times.• Ability to work in all weather conditions (i.e. heat, cold, rain, snow).• Ability to hold a flexible schedule including weekends, evenings and holidays (July 4th, Memorial Day, Columbus Day) required.• Subject to Drug Free Workplace Policy.• Subject to BMV check and Criminal Background check.

Hours: Minimum of 20 hours/week for 12 to 16 weeks

The 
RISE Scholarship, generously funded by Battelle, is now open! Eligible interns can apply for a $5,000 scholarship supporting hands‑on, mission‑driven internship experiences across the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds—applications are open May 1– June 30, 2026.To Apply to the RISE Scholarship, please visit: https://www.columbuszoo.org/rise-scholarships