Wildlife Nursery Assistant (Rouge Park)
Spring to Fall are the busiest seasons at Toronto Wildlife Centre, as we admit hundreds of orphaned animals. Being too young to care for themselves, they need to be hand-fed every few hours throughout the day, provided with enrichment, and stay with us until they are old enough to be released. As a Wildlife Nursery Assistant, you will specialize in caring for these young patients by hand feeding, cleaning out their enclosure, and providing them with enrichment.
The season will start around mid March until late October which will have a spring and fall baby season which will require hand feeding of baby squirrels as your primary task. In between that, you will be assisting with caring for our other juvenile patients including orphaned cottontail rabbits, Virginia opossums, and other species.
What You’ll do
Hand feed orphaned wildlife (e.g. eastern grey and red squirrels, chipmunks)
Provide care (including monitoring, feeding and weighing) to patients
Clean animal cages and do laundry to provide safe and clean housing
Clean and reset our outdoor enclosures for our orphaned patients
Provide our orphaned wildlife with enrichment
Help maintain the wildlife hospital and rehabilitation facilities
Time Commitment
Wildlife Nursery Assistants must commit to one scheduled shift of 4.5 hours each week for a commitment of 7 months between mid March to late October. The shift schedules are:
| Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
| 7:30am to 12:00pm | 12:00pm to 4:30pm | 4:30pm to 9:00pm |
Requirements
18 years of age or older
Interest in, and respect for, the unique needs of wild animals
Strong comprehension of English and the ability to follow written directions
Patience for patients who may be fussy or reluctant to feed
Strong attention to detail
Tetanus vaccination is required
Rabies vaccination is an asset but not required
Non-profit volunteer experience is an asset
Training
Wildlife Nursery Assistant volunteers will be provided with both online training and ongoing in-person training and support.
All new volunteers must attend an in-person Dry-run session prior to starting in the role.
