Veterinary clinical experience at Jersey Zoo 

The veterinary department at Jersey Zoo is responsible for ensuring the health and welfare of the individuals and populations that make up the zoo’s animal collection. The team currently consists of three full-time veterinary surgeons and a registered veterinary nurse.  We are passionate about the work that we do and always keen to assist veterinary students in gaining some invaluable experience in the highly competitive field of zoological and conservation-based medicine.

What to expect from a placement at Jersey Zoo

Needless to say, the clinical work undertaken in a zoo differs greatly from that of companion or production animal settings. We find that our ‘hands-on’ workload is less, with fewer operations or examinations occurring on any given day. Instead, we spend more of our time performing other duties relating to the care of our patients. These may include:

       -   Performing post-mortem examinations of any and every mortality that occurs.

       -   Undertaking in-house diagnostic procedures and laboratory work to return rapid diagnoses on clinical cases.

       -   Consulting with the zoo’s keeping teams regarding current and previous cases.
       -   Undertaking research into how best to care for our often less well-studied patients.

     -   Writing detailed notes to help develop the evidence base for rare and exotic species.

       -   Liasing with other institutions to facilitate the import and export of animals to and from the collection.

Students who spend time with us are encouraged to engage with all of the above, but it is worth noting that the nature of our work is less clinical than elsewhere and opportunities to actively participate in procedures and surgeries will be reduced.

Who is eligible to apply? 

Placements are offered to veterinary students in the final (generally 4^th or 5^th) years of their studies who would like to gain clinical experience in a zoological setting. Application for placements can be competitive and we would ask that only students with a genuine interest in exotic, zoological or conservation medicine apply for the limited spaces we can offer.

How long are placements for?

We would recommend that students plan to spend four weeks with us. Three weeks is acceptable but any less than that we have found to be less useful as a learning experience. Slightly longer placements can also be arranged on request.

Our working hours are 8am to 5pm during the winter months and 8am to 5.30pm during the summer. Students are generally asked to work Monday to Friday but there may be exceptional times when weekend work is available. However, this is not common or mandatory.

Requirements for students

We must ask that all students have obtained up-to-date vaccinations for rabies and tetanus prior to starting with us. Additionally, our work can be physically demanding at times and students should consider whether or not they are physically able to assist with this.

UK Students will not require a VISA to enter Jersey. However, VISA's are required by some countries to enter the UK, the same rules apply for Jersey, you can find out more here (https://www.gov.je/Travel/InformationAdvice/Visitors/pages/visapassportrequirements.aspx). Students are responsible for sorting their own VISA applications before their placement starts.

There is reciprocal health care provision in the event of emergencies for UK and French visitors only. Therefore, it is recommended that students obtain health insurance cover for the duration of their trip, as visits to health care professionals can be expensive. Students will be insured for all their activities within the zoo providing they act in strict accordance with the policy and procedures of the veterinary department and the zoo in general.

Funding

Unfortunately, we cannot currently offer funding for veterinary placements at Jersey Zoo. Students should consider the cost of travel, accommodation, and daily life on the island. We may be able to assist with accommodation costs by offering some more cost-effective options, but even still the cost of living can be high and this should be considered prior to arrival.

Research

Research whether official or unofficial, personal or professional is a large part of what we do and we encourage students to involve themselves with that whenever possible. Small-scale in-house research projects can be a useful way to spend less busy periods and we will often ask students to assist with these.

With regards to more ‘official’ research, we cannot offer any options for practical projects, but desk-based research can be carried out under guidance. However, please note that this must be approved by supervisors and will require students to provide a copy of any findings derived from work conducted at the zoo.

How to Apply

We will be taking applications for placements in 2026 from January 2025 onwards.

Please apply using this form.

If you have any additional questions regarding veterinary placements at Jersey Zoo, please feel free to contact Dave (Associate Veterinarian) at dave.houston@durrell.org

Or click here to apply for a Vet Student Placement

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