Animal Care in Wellington
What you'll learn
The course is the same online course wherever you study from. Its modules:
- 1. Subject 1 – Animal Healthcare
- 2. Subect 2 – Pet Selection and Care
Animal & wildlife near Wellington
Places in and around Wellington where you can see this field in action.
Wellington Zoo Te Nukuao and The Nest Te Kōhanga (opens in a new tab)
Wellington Zoo has cared for animals since 1906 and is run by a charitable trust for Wellington City Council. Its animal hospital, The Nest Te Kōhanga, treats wildlife brought in by the SPCA, DOC and Zealandia, and native species make up at least 70% of its patients.
The zoo takes on volunteers aged 18 and over in animal care, nutrition and hospital support roles, with applications opening in March and August.
Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne (opens in a new tab)
A 225-hectare valley sanctuary in Karori, enclosed by an 8.6 km predator-proof fence and described as the world's first fully fenced urban ecosanctuary. Tuatara, Hamilton's frog, kākā and little spotted kiwi are among the species living there.
More than 500 volunteers work there, from bird feeding to fence checks. Volunteers must be over 18, pass a police check and usually commit for six months or more.
Taputeranga Marine Reserve (opens in a new tab)
An 855-hectare DOC marine reserve on the south coast, established in 2008 and about 6 km from the city centre. More than 180 fish species have been recorded along this coast, and about 400 seaweed species within the reserve.
Shore walks, rock pooling and snorkelling from Island Bay give direct access to a protected rocky-reef ecosystem. Check DOC's page for current water-quality notices first.
SPCA Wellington Centre (Margaret Doucas Animal Hospital) (opens in a new tab)
The SPCA's Wellington Centre is in the old Fever Hospital in Newtown on Mount Victoria. It includes a full veterinary hospital that cares for SPCA animals and community animal emergencies.
The centre advertises volunteer and foster roles, which give companion-animal students hands-on contact with shelter work.
What our students say
Highly Recommend
It is one of the most fun and easiest courses, It has all the information you need, plus if you do it in order there is no doubt you can pass it.
I enjoy it so much and its a course that has helped me decide on what I want to aim for in the long run. The tutors are awesome and help you throughout and give great feedback on each module/lesson you do! Highly recommend it!
When I decided that I wanted to study I…
When I decided that I wanted to study I was quite hesitant and wasn’t too sure at first but from the first phone call till even now has been quite amazing.. the tutors are just absolutely great and really friendly and caring… The course is easy to follow assignments not too hard but still challenging… I would recommend them to anyone thinking about online study for sure…
Easy to understand and great support
I have been conducting a 12 week course, the information provided has been easy to understand and extremely informative. If at any point i have run into difficulties, my tutor has been there to give assistance and advise me the best way to progress forward.
More for Wellington
- Animal Care: full course page
- Everything for students in Wellington
- Compare all courses from Wellington
- Animal Care in Palmerston North
- Animal Care in Napier
Sources for the local information on this page
- wellingtonzoo.com/about-us/about-our-zoo
- wellingtonzoo.com/conservation/saving-wildlife-in-the-nest-te-kohanga
- wellingtonzoo.com/support-us/volunteer
- visitzealandia.com/About
- visitzealandia.com/support-us/volunteer/
- doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/wellington-kapiti/places/taputeranga-marine-reserve/
- spca.nz/centre/wellington-centre
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