Wildlife Veterinarian and Wildlife Vet Nurse

The mission of the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary & Hospital is to rescue, rehabilitate and release sick, injured and orphaned Tasmanian native animals. The Bonorong Wildlife Hospital & Rescue is an emergency wildlife rescue service operating 24/7/365, which takes around 15,000 calls for sick, injured and orphaned native animals annually.

Our team at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary & Hospital are seeking a motivated and experienced Wildlife Veterinarian & Wildlife Veterinary Nurse to join our team on a casual basis. This position will be funded by the incredible team from IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare).

Our Wildlife Veterinary Team functions in a dynamic environment with constantly changing priorities consistent with emergency work. Animal welfare is our focus and responsibility for personal safety when working with wild animals is critical. Customer service is an important part of the position with a need to communicate positively with the public, the media, sponsors and other staff to promote conservation and education.

The hospital seeks to provide the best possible care for native wildlife. It does so by continuously improving, researching and also developing new and innovative solutions for treating the large variety of species and problems that are seen daily. The hospital plays a significant role in educating visitors & influencing change in people’s behaviour assisting with conservation nationwide.

The shift we are looking to fill will be on a Sunday each week for 4 hours between 9am-1pm. There will also be an initial training period prior to this, which will be one day per week (on a weekday) for 4 weeks. The vet will be working as sole charge on these days without assistance from other vets. These positions will be funded by IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) for a minimum 12 month contract.

These roles involve the veterinary support, treatment and care of all resident wildlife at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and all patients that arrive via the Bonorong Wildlife Rescue Service. Having a passion and interest in wildlife and the environment is fundamental to helping deliver Bonorong’s outlook and ethos, so we welcome people with these values and interests.

For the Wildlife Veterinarian role you must have:

• A Degree in Veterinary Science registrable in Tasmania.
• A minimum of 2 years working in private practice.
• Have or be eligible to obtain a licence to use radiation sources (diagnostic veterinary radiography) relevant to Tasmania.
• Good knowledge of emergency medicine principles, surgical procedures and a methodical and sound diagnostic approach.
• A high level of interpersonal skills and the ability to engage and communicate effectively and positively with all staff, wildlife carers and Sanctuary visitors.
• Self-motivation, initiative and the ability to work as part of a team.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and evidence-based decision making.
• Well-developed organisational and time management skills & the ability to handle multiple tasks.
• Commercial awareness
• Demonstrated interest in wildlife health and medicine

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For the Wildlife Vet Nurse role you must have:

• Current Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing or equivalent.
• Minimum of 2 years experience as a Veterinary Nurse.
• Knowledge of emergency medicine principles, surgical preparation, ICU monitoring and anaesthesia monitoring.
• Good hygiene practices, including understanding of basic quarantine procedures.
• Ability to observe and report abnormal animal behaviours.
• Be able to handle animals in a safe and confident manner.
• Excellent presentation and outstanding customer service skills.
• Good communication skills and ability to work in a team.

Desirable Criteria (for both Vet and Vet Nurse):

• Rabies, QFever, Tetanus vaccinations
• First Aid qualifications
• Knowledge of animal husbandry and wildlife species natural history, including hand-raising of wildlife species.
• Ultrasonography (vets)

**Responsibilities for either role available on request 

About Bonorong:

• A values based social enterprise with a focus on animal welfare, wildlife and the environment.
• An innovative and nimble business with awesome customers.
• Driven to provide engaging and connecting wildlife educational experiences in a customer welcoming environment
• Friendly, passionate and focused work culture.

Bonorong is based in Brighton - around 30 minutes north of Hobart CBD. It is essential that you have your own reliable transport to get to and from work.

Due to the nature of this role, we are unable to provide flexibility regarding the location of the role and the times you are required on site.

Interested? Then please read carefully below how to apply.

Please email your resume and a cover letter detailing why you think you’d be a good fit for this role to petra@bonorong.com.au  

Applications and questions will be accepted via the email above and you will only be contacted if you are successful in moving to the next round.

Applications close: 5pm, Friday 18th November 2022.