*Seeking interns: Urban Caracal Study in Cape Town, South Africa* *DESCRIPTION: *Seeking 2 fulltime field assistants to aid in a postdoctoral study examining the effects of urbanization on the diet, health, and spatial ecology of caracals (*Caracal caracal*) in Cape Town, South Africa. Full-time interns will be expected to work approximately 40 hours/week. Fieldwork may entail extensive hiking (up to 20 km/day). Interns will have the opportunity to set and monitor cage traps (trapping to occur through mid-September), assist in collecting samples and radio-collaring captured caracals. Interns will primarily investigate kill sites for diet studies, and set and monitor remote cameras. Data entry and participation in social media efforts (blog writing) will also be included. Interns may have the chance to assist in spatial analysis of GPS tracking data from radio-collars through online platforms, as well as Google Earth and GIS.
The project is a joint effort between University of Cape Town, Cape Leopard Trust (capeleopard.org.za), South African National Parks, and Universities of California, Santa Cruz and Los Angeles. Please note, we are interested to have graduate students join the project to facilitate project expansion, and this would be a great introduction to potentially collect data that could be used in a graduate program. Please discuss this with the Project Coordinator if you are interested. *STUDY AREA: *Table Mountain National Park encompasses iconic landmarks such as Table Mountain and the Cape of Good Hope. Surrounding the peninsula of Cape Town are amazing beaches with surfing, snorkeling, and wildlife opportunities, as well as beautiful wine lands. Cape Town makes for an easy travel hub to other parts of Africa and encompasses a variety of cultures and global influences. *COMPENSATION: *Housing is provided and is currently 3-bedroom house shared with interns and other local volunteers. Expect to live with other international volunteers. No compensation for travel or daily living can be provided at this time. Cost of living is cheaper in South Africa than in the US or Europe, and a budget of $250.00/month allotted for food and entertainment should be sufficient. *QUALIFICATIONS:* *Required:* Minimum of 3 months of fieldwork experience with references provided for previous field experiences. High level of physical fitness: ability to hike up to 15-20km/day 5 days/week while carrying heavy gear over rough, steep terrain. ABILITY TO DRIVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION IS A MUST! Ability to work alone or in groups, confidence to trouble-shoot in unexpected field circumstances, general adaptability to foreign work conditions, and MUST: adaptability to uncertain work schedules. The ability to navigate using maps and GPS units is expected, as is a detail oriented and diligent attitude towards data collection and entry. Applicants must be enthusiastic and independent, yet able to work in teams and make joint decisions, and ready to learn on the fly. *Preferred:* carnivore trapping, radio-telemetry, animal handling, mammal surveys, kill site investigation, and/or remote camera work. *General:* There are no guarantees that caracal captures will occur during your stay. The area is mountainous with extreme hiking through thick fynbos vegetation regularly required and weather often unpredictable. *IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: The area presents numerous logistic challenges, including personal safety in the field such that interns will be REQUIRED to work in pairs in most regions of the study area and must be vigilant of their surroundings. Fieldwork has been ongoing for 20 months with no safety incidents, but the field site is a major African city and safety and theft will always be something for interns to be aware of. Daily demonstration of safety cognizance and vigilance will be demanded of all project participants. There are also venomous snakes in the study area that field interns must be vigilant of as well.* *DATES: *Begin immediately. Please send applications only if you are available to start between by end of September. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and calls for interns are on a rolling basis. Minimum time commitment is 3 months but preferred 6 months. Regular tourist visas are valid for 90 days on a U.S. or European passport with an extension that can be applied for once in South Africa. *CONTACT: *Please send 1) a short cover letter describing interest in the position including dates of availability, 2) resume, and 3) 3 references with contact information to: Laurel Serieys ([email protected]). Please put “Intern Application” in subject line of emails. Please direct any questions to Laurel Serieys. *WEBSITE: *http://www.urbancaracal.org/ or Facebook.com/UrbanCaracal
