Tucson Wildlife Center

Animal Caretaker

Join our team and make a difference in the lives of local wildlife that need care. We invite  you to become part of a great team of dedicated wildlife rescuers. A wide variety of opportunities exist, including but not limited to rescues and releases, medicating and feeding animals, and cleaning enclosures and facilities.

Interested in working with wild animals and the great people who help them? Read below for details on the many different positions we have available.

We require all of our volunteers to be age 18 or older. In the future, we hope to have a youth program for those under 18. Keep checking back for any updates.

At this time, we do not accept volunteers needing to complete community service hours.

Be a part of the largest group of volunteers at the center – taking care of the animals! Animal care volunteers can expect to:

• Clean, sanitize, and scrub enclosures and cages
• Prepare special diets including fruits and vegetables, meat, quail, mice, and fish
• General chores like mopping, sweeping, dusting, wiping down
• Assist with physical exams, giving medications, and general medical care
• Answer phones from public calls about various situations including emergencies
• Rescue and release native wildlife

Animal care volunteers must attend a 4-hour orientation, scheduled once per month or as needed on a Saturday, before beginning a shift. Animal care volunteers are required to make a six (6) month commitment of one shift per week. The shift times are as follows:

• Summer AM shift: 8:00am to 1:30pm | Winter AM shift: 9:00am to 1:30pm
• Summer PM shift: 1:30pm to 7:00pm | Winter PM shift: 1:30pm to 6:00pm

This is a very hands-off position. Our patients are wild and the less human exposure they have, the better they can heal. However, some avian handling training will be provided to dedicated volunteers. Workshops are offered regularly to help volunteers learn or brush-up on skills. Mammals can only be handled with a pre-exposure rabies vaccine but is not required to be a volunteer. An up-to-date (within 10 years) tetanus vaccine is required for all volunteers.