SANCCOB’s Chick Rearing Unit Internship programme has been developed to equip candidates with chick husbandry skills and egg management skills for a career in conservation, especially for seabird chick rearing or captive breeding.
Programme description:
SANCCOB’s Chick Rearing Unit Internship programme has been developed to equip candidates with chick husbandry skills and egg management skills for a career in conservation, especially for seabird chick rearing or captive breeding. The Chick Rearing Unit internship is not as physically demanding as the other seabird internship programmes at SANCCOB, however, successful candidates need to be focused, self-motivated, compassionate, and highly observant. Be aware that the working environment is quiet and solitary in nature.
Skills observed, assisted with, and learned during the internship:
- Maintaining a high level of hygiene and cleanliness within the Chick Rearing Unit
- Weighing of chicks and calculating feeds based on weight
- Calculating and updating medication amounts for individual birds under supervision of the Veterinarian
- Record keeping for individual birds
- Handling and feeding African penguin chicks (all ages)
- Admitting and monitoring of eggs during incubation and hatching (weighing, candling, measuring and egg buddy)
- Working independently as well as part of a team
- Assisting in basic training of other interns
- Identifying behaviour in chicks to determine health status
- Maintaining adequate temperature control in the Chick Rearing Unit
Expectation of interns from SANCCOB:
- Committed individual and willingness to go the extra mile
- Physically fit and able to stand for a full shift
- Comfortable with getting dirty
- Able to work in a team as well as independently
- Able to follow Standard Operating Procedures
- Reliable and accountable individual
- Compassionate and caring nature with a love for seabirds
- Trustworthy
- Attention to detail
- Strong sense of initiative
- Excellent communication skills
- Good problem-solving skills
- Ability to multi-task and perform tasks in order of importance and priority and delegate tasks to volunteers and other interns
- Work under pressure
- Previous experience working with birds desirable though not essential
Each intern will receive a training plan that will include an outline of the internship, with goals and action dates to complete these goals. This will be done with the support of your mentor, the Chick Rearing Unit Supervisor and support from the Volunteer Coordinator.
Length of internship: 6 months (minimum)
Hours of work: Mostly shift work (AM shift 5:30 am – 2:30 pm or PM shift 1:30 pm – 9:30 pm), 5 days per week (including some weekends and public holidays). Interns may also be expected to work 8:00 am to 5:30 pm* with a lunch break 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm and a short break in the morning and afternoon.
* Some days may require interns to assist until 6:30 pm, so your willingness to go the extra mile during the busy times will be crucial.
Only a R2,000.00 refundable deposit is required to secure your placement and will be returned at the end of your internship.
Reporting to: Chick Rearing Unit Supervisor
Contact Us
To apply for one of our internships, download the application form and send it, along with your CV and motivational letter to volunteers@sanccob.co.za
We look forward to welcoming you to SANCCOB.