Animal and Zoological Management
Each UC Davis Summer Abroad Internship program pairs UC Davis Study Abroad with a partner organization that manages the personalized internship placements; arranges accommodations and excursions; leads onsite orientations and optional social events; and provides 24/7 emergency support. As part of the placement process for Summer Internships, participants will first enroll through UC Davis Study Abroad and then complete a supplemental application for the partner organization associated with their particular Summer Internship program.
Although Study Abroad partners with outside organizations for some aspects of Summer Abroad Internships, the official provider for these programs is UC Davis Study Abroad, and course credit is issued by UC Davis.
Internship Placement Process
After you enroll through UC Davis Study Abroad in this summer internship program, you will receive instructions to complete the Loop Abroad online enrollment.
Internship Placement Rotations
While in South Africa, you will participate in a full-time internship, spending 2 weeks at Lory Park Animal and Owl Sanctuary and 2 weeks at Cango Wildlife Ranch. All participants should be comfortable working with animals and getting dirty.
You will spend time learning about wildlife from a Loop Abroad veterinarian and perform hands-on trainings. You will learn from and interact with zookeeping staff and zoo animals directly.
During your rotations, interns will be led by a Loop Abroad veterinarian as well as the Lory Park and Cango staff in learning to care for zoo animals including big cats, small cats (like black-footed cats), reptiles, birds of prey, and primates. Interns may assist in feeding, care, upkeep, and other clinical and sanctuary chores. You will receive veterinary lectures on relevant content, participate in necropsies and other veterinary wet labs, and have opportunities to shadow and observe medical procedures that occur during their time on the project all while learning how a zoo operates.
Resume and Cover Letter Resources
We strongly recommend that all students meet with an advisor at the UC Davis Career Center or the Career Center on their home campus to have their resume and other supplemental documents reviewed (if applicable) prior to submitting these documents. The UC Davis Career Center provides many online resources, such as resume, cover letter, and letter of recommendation examples.
Our Program Partner
For the Animal and Zoological Management in South Africa Summer Internship program, UC Davis Study abroad partners with Loop Abroad, a student travel organization whose mission is to provide the best hands-on study abroad for students pursuing careers working with animals.
Transcript Notation
Students participating in UC Davis Study Abroad Internships are eligible to receive Transcript Notation (TN). Transcript notation documents your academically approved internship on your official UC Davis transcript. By having your experience noted, it provides proof of where and when you participated in an internship. This is especially valuable for international internships that may be difficult for a prospective employer or program to contact.
Transcript Notation is a process you’ll start within the first two weeks of your internship placement through Handshake, the tool the UC Davis Career Center uses to connect students and employers.