Cross Breeds

How to become involved in working with large wild animals?

I am just finishing my degree in International Business Management and have realized I made a huge educational mistake and should have gone into Wildlife Biology or Zoology because the only thing I could ever see myself being happy doing - is working with wild animals like tigers, polar bears, etc. Is there any type of volunteer work or jobs where I can at least interact hands on with these types of animals?? Any references and ideas would be greatly appreciated and thank you!

Public Comments

1. You can join Vet Clinics on a voluntary basic and later you can move on from there to bigger areas. This is how most people get into animal care/work.
2. There are many seasonal jobs available to work with animals in the wild to gain hands-on experience..but most require a degree or at least a substantial amount of education in this field. You may try volunteering at a local zoo and maybe taking some more science related/animal related course at a junior college. You may eventually want to go back and earn a degree in biology, zoology, wildlife management, wildlife biology, etc. if you want to work with animals in the wild. If you want to work in a zoo, you can possibly work your way up to a paid position through a volunteer program OR by getting a degree. Take a look at these sites for volunteer and internship opportunities working with wild animals: http://wfsc.tamu.edu/jobboard/index.htm http://www.conbio.org/jobs/ Feel free to email me if you need more advice or info.