Animal Behavior & Welfare Monitoring - AQUARIUM

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Turtle Back Zoo

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Animal Behavior & Welfare Monitoring - AQUARIUM

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Program Overview

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The Animal Behavior Internship at Turtle Back Zoo offers students a specialized educational track in Ethology and Welfare Science. This program focuses on the objective measurement of animal behavior to inform husbandry and habitat management. Under the guidance of the Animal Care Administration, interns will learn how to design ethograms, utilize industry-standard software like ZooMonitor, and translate raw data into actionable welfare insights.

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This internship will be focused in our Aquarium. This includes three separate aquarium tanks as well as a Touch Tank. In the Touch Tank, we house multiple species of elasmobranchs, including cownose rays, Atlantic stingrays, and epaulette sharks. Observations will be made to generate heatmaps of habitat use and determine behavioral trends of animals in an environment of guest interaction. The natural history and anatomy of these species will be learned to inform the data collection and collaboration with the Aquarium team. This position will be responsible for adhering to all zoo safety protocols, standard operating procedures, and Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accreditation standards and offers a unique opportunity for undergraduates, graduate students and recent college graduates interested in obtaining practical experience in the animal care and behavioral husbandry field.

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Responsibilities and Learning Objectives:

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• Explain natural history and anatomy of multiple species of elasmobranchs

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• Use the ZooMonitor program to collect behavioral data

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• Inform animal wellbeing protocols at the zoo from collected data

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Learning Objectives & Project Outline

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The core of this internship is a structured Behavioral Observation Project. Interns will progress through the following phases:

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Phase 1: Foundation & Research (Approx. 30 Hours)

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• Shadowing: Learn daily routines and individual animal histories with the Animal Care Team.

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• Natural History Research: Review and update "Species Spiders" (biological profiles) using peer-referenced citations.

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• Methodology Training: Watch instructional modules on Animal Behavior Observation Methods and ZooMonitor via SharePoint.

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• Ethogram Development: Learn to define specific behavioral categories to answer: \t\t\t\t\t\t

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• What proportion of time are animals engaged in specific behaviors?

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• Where and when do animals spend their time within the habitat?

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Phase 2: Data Acquisition (Approx. 60 Hours)

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• Active Observation: Conduct daily 30-minute interval observations of focal animals (3 hours/day).

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• Visibility Mapping: Execute daily visibility checks of other species every 30 minutes (between 10 AM - 3 PM) to track habitat usage and guest-animal interactions.

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• Software Integration: Work with AC Administration to build and manage a formal study within the ZooMonitor platform.

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Phase 3: Synthesis & Reporting (Approx. 30 Hours)

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• Data Summarization: Analyze 30+ hours of collected data to identify behavioral trends.

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• Professional Presentation: Report findings on visibility, frequent locations, and behavioral budgets to the Animal Care Team.

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Experience Required

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Applicant Requirements & Eligibility \t\t\t\t\t•\tAcademic Standing: Must be a current student at an accredited college or university following a related course of study (e.g., Psychology/Behavior, Zoology, Biology). \t\t\t\t\t•\tCredit Minimum: Applicants must have completed at least 60 college credits before applying. \t\t\t\t\t•\tHealth & Safety: Provide proof of a negative TB test and pass a criminal background check prior to acceptance. \t\t\t\t\t•\tPhysical Requirements: Long periods of standing, ability to navigate uneven, wet, or sloped terrain on foot. \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tLogistics & Commitment \t\t\t\t\t•\tTotal Hours: The project is designed around 120 total hours. \t\t\t\t\t•\tFlexibility: Schedules are mutually decided. For example: \t\t\t\t\to\tFull-time (Daily): Approximately 4 weeks. \t\t\t\t\to\tPart-time (1 day/week): Approximately 20 weeks. \t\t\t\t\t•\tCompensation: This is an unpaid internship. Interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation. \t\t\t\t\t•\tEnvironment: This role may involve significant time spent outdoors in all weather conditions for stationary observations, as well as computer-based data analysis. \t\t\t\t\t

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Salary

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unpaid

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How to Apply

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If you are interested, please email a resume and cover letter to Kyle Lyons (klyons@parks.essexcountynj.org)

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Turtle Back Zoo

560 Northfield Rd

West Orange, NJ 07052

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