Internships

Internship Opportunities

Jungle Friends runs on the energy and dedication of very special people whose commitment to the health and happiness of our monkey residents unites them for a common cause. If you have a love for animals and you aren't afraid of hard work, please take a look at our internship opportunities.

You do not need to have experience working with primates, although it helps. You simply need a strong desire to make a difference in the lives of these special creatures who are living out their lives in captivity, entirely dependent on humans for their every need.

How To Apply
Resources for Prospective Interns

We accept internship applications throughout the year. Opportunities may vary through the year, but we do our best to keep the list below limited only to positions that are currently open. If you have questions, please Contact Us.

Apprentice Caregiver (Senior Intern)

This is a one-year advanced internship. Successful completion of a 4-month Jungle Friends entry-level internship is a prerequisite for apprentice applicants. (In the case of applicants who have equivalent experience caring for new world monkeys in a sanctuary setting, this requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Board.)

The apprentice caregiver is expected to learn and be able to take a team leader role in sanctuary operations. The apprentice should be proactive in assuring that all necessary tasks are completed. The job includes general husbandry caring for over 300 New World monkeys:

Clean outdoor habitats and indoor enclosures.
Prepare diets and feed.
Monitor the monkeys' physical and emotional well-being.
Medical procedures and restraint and capture, when necessary.
Build and repair habitats.
Planning and monitoring socialization.
General grounds keeping.
Clean and repair other sanctuary buildings.
Direct and oversee interns and volunteer groups.
Record-keeping and some computer and office work.
Share in preparing communal meals.
Participate in fundraising campaigns, outreach and advocacy for captive primates.

Apprentices receive room and board and a $500/month stipend.

How To Apply

If you have already completed a Jungle Friends internship, contact applicant@junglefriends.org to apply for the apprenticeship.

Entry-Level Caregiver Internship

Because we have more than 300 monkey residents, and are expecting to double in size over the next year, we always need multiple caregivers and internships are almost always available.

The caregiver's work includes

general husbandry;
cleaning and propping monkey habitats;
food preparation, including special diets for monkeys with diabetes and other conditions;
feeding the monkeys twice daily;
collecting used food bowls and washing up;
observing the monkeys while working, and reporting unusual behaviors or injuries to management;
building & repairing habitats;
performing regular checks of heaters and water systems;
general grounds maintenance;
leading volunteer groups on special projects or unskilled tasks;
other labor or special projects as needed.

You will participate in meal preparation and clean-up for communal meals, and are expected to keep your own quarters and shared living areas clean and neat.

How To Apply

After completing a 4-month internship, you may apply for a 1-year apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are limited and awarded at the discretion of the Executive Director. Completion of an entry-level internship does not guarantee that an Apprenticeship will be awarded.

Social Media Coordinator Internship

Do you care about animals AND aspire to a career in social networking? We can't offer you big bucks, but we can offer an opportunity to demonstrate your talent and build the experience and successful track record you need to advance your social marketing career.

Jungle Friends is a small non-profit primate sanctuary with a national support base. We are looking for the right person to translate our mission and core values into ideas and executable plans to engage online audiences in the social media space, and produce measurable results in expanding our community and support base.

The ideal candidate would have...

Extensive social media expertise (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, blogs and more)
Experience with social networking from a business or marketing perspective as well as personal use and demonstrated experience in persuading audiences to take action.
Exceptional communication and writing skills.
Photography and/or video skills.
Enthusiasm for learning our philosophy, mission, history, issues.
Ability to translate the day-to-day realities and issues of our organization into engaging stories and effective campaigns to engage and expand our online community and support base.
Ability to establish measurements and success metrics for social networking initiatives
Understanding of and experience with marketing, public relations and fundraising.
Commitment to animal advocacy.

In addition to the application, please include:

A one-page summary of your qualifications for this position and your approach to developing a social media marketing plan for Jungle Friends.
Writing samples.
Social media samples (links or screenshots).

How To Apply

How to Apply

We are looking for very special people for both our internships and staff positions. You must be friendly and have good communication skills, work well with others and have the ability to lead others as well as follow. You must be even-tempered and down to earth. You do not need to have previous experience working with primates, but you must have respect for and love for animals. You must be committed to the job, and understand that certain tasks must by done every single day to keep the monkeys healthy, happy, and safe -- regardless of holidays, the weather or social functions.

The sanctuary is managed by the Founder/Executive Director, who lives on-site. There are generally four to six interns and staff living onsite, as well as numerous rescued dogs who call the sanctuary home. Everyone on site is expected to embrace the communal, family-living style at the sanctuary while they are here. The successful intern or staff member will come to Jungle Friends with an open mind and open heart, ready to work hard and become a part of the Jungle Friends family. The number one rule at Jungle Friends is simple: The well-being of the monkeys always comes first!

Trial Visits and Commitment

We ask that staff and internship applicants come to Jungle Friends and stay onsite for a trial period to evaluate whether you are suitable for the sanctuary -- and the sanctuary is suitable for you. If this is not possible, an exception can only be arranged through Kari Bagnall, our Executive Director.
For internships, you must be in a position to make at least an 10-week commitment to Jungle Friends. The longer you can be here, the better!
Staff positions are subject to a 90-day trial period.

Things to consider before you apply

This is a vegan organization. No meat or animal products are allowed to be consumed, cooked or stored on Jungle Friends premises, and no animal products can be used at Jungle Friends. Jungle Friends opposes exploitation of animals.
For the safety of our animals and facilities, smoking tobacco, consuming alcohol and using drugs that are illegal in the state of Florida on the premises will be grounds for immediate dismissal.

Internship Cost and Accommodations:

There is a fee of $100 per week of internship, to be paid in advance. For longer internships, the fee drops to $75 a week after 4 months. Following the trial, the fee must be paid in full in order to reserve the dates for your internship. Scholarships may be available in cases of hardship.

Room and board are provided at the sanctuary for interns. There is a $100 cleaning deposit.

Application Procedure

The application packet includes the application form, reference form, and details regarding other items that must be submitted with your application. Be sure to clearly indicate which internship or employment opportunity you are applying for.

If you are unable to download any of these files, email applicant@junglefriends.org to have the file emailed to you.

Scan and email your completed application to: applicant@junglefriends.org or fax it to: (386) 418-0808.

Once we have received your completed application packet, we will contact you to arrange a telephone/Skype interview.