How an internship at a wildlife rehabilitation center in Regina cemented a biologist’s desire to work in the field
Erin Ennis’ internship at Salthaven West in 2019 cemented her desire to work with wildlife.
Salthaven West receives and cares for over 1,500 sick, injured, displaced and orphaned animals from across southern Saskatchewan each year. This summer, the Regina Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is hiring three interns thanks to a Canada Summer Jobs grant.
Two interns learn about the day-to-day care and rehabilitation needs of numerous species and assist in their release.
The other intern will work alongside volunteers and staff as a receptionist at a medical clinic, maintaining the patient database, communicating with the public about wildlife issues and assisting with animal admissions.
“It’s incredible to be up close and personal with wildlife,” Ennis told CBC radio The morning edition Hostess Stefani Langenegger.
“You will learn how much effort it takes to get a single patient through the rehabilitation process and back into the wild where they belong. It’s amazing to see this process.”
Natalia Slipak, Salthaven West clinic manager and a certified wildlife rehabilitator, said the wildlife rehabilitation center is not like a typical nine-to-five internship.
“It’s not the normal job you find there, it’s very rewarding in many ways,” Slipak said The morning edition.
“You will learn about some species that you may have seen up close. You can see how the treatment plan is going. … You can see them recover and get better and then hopefully be released.”
LISTEN| The Salthaven West Clinic Director and a former intern discuss what to expect during an internship:
Slipak said volunteering at Salthaven West is not the same as volunteering with pets.
“We limit ourselves to the minimum. We don’t pet them, we don’t hug them, we don’t talk to them,” Slipak said. “We give them the best care they need.”
Slipak said the interns would help feed the animals, administer medication and clean their enclosures, in addition to overseeing their treatment plans and recovery.
“It’s for anyone interested in working in research, wildlife management, wildlife biology, or wildlife in general,” Slipak said.
Ennis now works as a biologist at the University of Regina, where she continues to work with plants and animals. She said her time at Salthaven West taught her many valuable new wildlife skills and knowledge.
“You learn so much from the people around you, the rehabilitators, but also from the other cohort of volunteers, who are amazing,” Ennis said.
“You learn about conservation issues, but also about the human-caused impacts that many of these species are facing.”
One of the human impacts that Ennis highlighted was that many of the injured animals that came in were caught by cats.
“That can be mitigated by having more people, or all people, keep their cat indoors,” Ennis said.
Individuals who are between the ages of 18 and 30 on the program start date are eligible to apply for the 2023 Summer Internships at Salthaven West. Application deadline is March 31st.
