What is wildlife instinction?

Is there a degree in wildlife biology?

• i want to be a wildlife biologist. Steve Irwin is my idol. I want to be like him some day. I know that UF, the university or florida has a good wildlife course. and its like a couple hours from my house, but i was wondering if there is a degree for wildlife biology. i also want to know how to become a wildlife biologist. I know that i have to get a bachelors or masters in wildlife biology or zoology or something like that. but are there places where i can actually work as a wildlife biologist. I want to travel and learn about the animals. I suppose i could work at a zoo, but that barely pays anything, no offense! i really more than anything want to rescue endangered animals and start my own zoo or wildlife resuce or something, and i want to teach people about the animals and teach people how to save and conserve them. Thats a bit extreme though. I just really wanna know if there is a place i could actually work at being a wildlife biologist. thank you so much and if there are any rude remarks about steve Irwin.....i will report you!!!

• Answer:

  Yes, there is a wildlife biologist degree. With a degree in wildlife biology, you could think about some of these careers: Wildlife rehabilitator: Bachelor's degree (or higher) in biology, wildlife biology, or a similar field. Plan on a couple of unpaid or poorly paid internships prior to landing a rehab job. Check job listings for wildlife rehabilitators at: http://www.iwrc-online.org/jobline/jobline.html or http://www.nwrawildlife.org/jobsearch.asp Zookeeper: Bachelor's degree (or higher) in biology, zoology, wildlife biology, or a similar field. Again, plan on a couple of unpaid or poorly paid internships prior to landing a real job. Go to www.aza.org/joblistings to get a feel for opportunities and pay ranges. Wildlife biologist (researches animals in the wild): Four-year degree in biology, zoology, ecology, wildlife biology, with a summer or three of research internship(s) during the summers or evenings. Follow this with a Ph.D. in your field of interest. Complete post-doctoral work under a different mentor at a different institution. Plan on 2-6 years as a postdoc before landing your first real job, and be aware that more people graduate with Ph.D.'s in these fields than there are jobs for. Go to www.naturejobs.nature.com or www.scjobs.sciencemag.org to see what's out there. . Park ranger/etc.: Bachelor's degree or better in wildlife biology, wildlife managemnt, fisheries management, or the like. Many jobs, decent pay, and excellent benefits, but not as exciting for most people as the other options. Check out USFWS and DNR jobs at www.usajobs.gov for available positions. Good luck!