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Want to gain a unique career experience? Ready to travel internationally with both independence and support? Consider joining one of our incredible veterinary internships abroad!
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Our veterinary internships abroad offer a blend of career experience and travel, providing more flexibility than our study abroad programs. They are an excellent choice for students who want to gain valuable knowledge while still having the freedom to travel and explore independently. We simplify the logistics for you by handling the placement and housing, so you don’t have to navigate, find, and vet your own opportunity abroad. Like traditional internships, you will be placed with one of our partner projects, where you’ll spend approximately 35–40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, shadowing, observing, or assisting, as needed. This experience can be a valuable addition to your resume, and some colleges may even offer internship credit. However, please note that these internships differ from our standard programs—you won’t have a daily Loop Abroad staff member, a teaching vet, or pre-scheduled activities and transportation. Instead, you’ll have the independence to travel on your own, supported by your Loop Abroad and in-country coordinator.
This is a practical conservation internship which is aimed at those looking to work in any of the following fields: Ecologist, Biologist, Habitat Specialist, Environmental Biologist, Wildlife Biologist, and Conservation. Applicants must have a deep interest in wildlife conservation and be committed to hands-on work and research activities.
If you and a friend are applying together and would like to intern together and be housed together, please contact us at [email protected] to assist you.
Applicants must be 18+ and must have completed a minimum of one year of undergraduate study to apply.
During this internship, students will work with wild animals at The Arcturos Environmental Center. The focus revolves around the conservation of large carnivores like brown bears and wolves, as well as the management of mountainous ecosystems in Greece and the Balkans.
Interns can choose from a selection of:
This Wildlife Research internship aims to offer participants a high-quality experience and a comprehensive understanding of various conservation aspects. By joining this internship, you will develop valuable skills while contributing to the meaningful work of safeguarding Greece’s wildlife heritage.
Projects may include (depending on what is available during your internship and what team you choose):
For more details, see the itinerary here.
This internship is available from the middle of February until the end of November. Internships start on a Tuesday and end on a Thursday, with airport transfer from Thessaloniki on the Monday before the Tuesday start date included in the tuition fee. The duration of the internship will be at least 4 weeks and a maximum of 12 weeks.
4 weeks: $3,980
5 weeks: $4,710
6 weeks: $5,440
7 weeks: $6,170
8 weeks: $6,820
9 weeks: $7,470
10 weeks: $8,120
11 weeks: $8,770
12 weeks: $9,420
Included: Airport pick-up, housing, local English-speaking coordinator, city, and internship orientation
Not included: Meals, travel expenses, medical insurance, and entertainment expenses.
The Gilman Scholarship could fund $5000 of your tuition plus there is an additional STEM Supplemental Award of $1000 you an apply for. The next round of applications opens mid-August and the deadline is March 5, 2026, at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
If you are a US citizen receiving a Pell Grant and currently enrolled in college or university, we encourage you to apply for this scholarship! See the official website for the latest details and read about Loop Abroad students who have received this scholarship.
The accommodation provided is fully furnished, students will have either single or double beds, and access to WiFi. Housing is shared with 1-5 other interns of mixed genders.
Interns are required to pay a $400 security housing deposit directly to our partner in order to participate in the program. This deposit covers any potential damages, beyond normal wear and tear or missing items, that took place at the internship apartments & host sites throughout your stay. The security housing deposit is fully refunded upon successful inspection (within 30 days of your departure). You will be notified of the findings and the amount deducted.
You can receive one credit hour from Culver-Stockton College for every 40 internship hours for this program. (Optional. Additional fee applies.)
The Environmental Center of Arcturos is a non-profit, non-governmental environmental organization (NGO) founded in 1992 with a core focus on safeguarding wildlife fauna and natural habitats in Greece and beyond. The organization was born out of a pressing need to address the captivity of bears and wolves.
In addition to its diverse range of activities, Arcturos places significant emphasis on scientific research and environmental education. The organization strives to raise public awareness regarding critical matters like biodiversity and viability while advocating for political measures anchored in complete programs and solutions.
Over the years, Arcturos has expanded its endeavors, encompassing a wide spectrum of actions that actively promote the protection of wildlife. One of its most significant initiatives involves the reproduction and perpetuation of the Greek shepherd dog. This breed is then freely distributed to farmers in hilly regions, fostering a harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife.
Arcturos’ mission is to secure sustained funding and continue the organization’s vital work for years to come, striving for unity and harmony between humanity and nature.
Animal Husbandry
The main role in the Animal Husbandry Internship is to assist ARCTUROS’ caretakers with daily husbandry tasks, such as:
Get involved in food preparation, feeding, enclosure/den cleaning, daily animal monitoring such as visual health assessments, record keeping etc.
Assist the ARCTUROS maintenance team with the upkeep of animal facilities. This might include repair, building, gardening etc.
Support the work of the Hellenic Shepherd Dog & Reproduction Centre by feeding and daily care of the dogs and the premises, equipment cleaning; dog grooming, dog training and dog walking/exercising.
Assist the ARCTUROS veterinarian (when necessary) and caring for the Greek sheepdog puppies.
Wolf Behaviour Research
With the assistance and full support of the Research Department of ARCTUROS a short-term monitoring program will be carried out to study the behaviour of captive arctic wolves in relation to human presence (visitors), and neighboring wolf packs and lynx group. At the start of your internship, ARCTUROS will provide interns training on ethograms and wolf ecology. This preparatory training equips interns with essential knowledge and practical skills.
Throughout your internship, you will receive support from ARCTUROS’ Research Department, ensuring you have access to expert knowledge and mentorship. Your participation will contribute to an ongoing long-term study, fostering valuable insights that will aid future students and researchers in their pursuits of understanding arctic wolf behavior. As a participating intern, you will gain access to monthly findings, which can serve as valuable resources for your own research and academic endeavors.
During the internship, you will have the privilege of documenting arctic wolf behavior using systematic time-sampled written descriptions. This approach involves using figures to represent posture and letter/syllable abbreviations for locomotion and other behaviors. This method aims to maintain data accuracy and streamline the recording process while ensuring simplicity in documentation.
Brown Bear Behaviour Research
The primary objectives of the Brown Bear Behaviour Research internship are to investigate how brown bears react to two critical factors: The presence of people (visitors) in the Bear Conservation Area of ARCTUROS, and their interactions with other bears.
In preparation for their roles, the Research Department of ARCTUROS will provide participating interns with comprehensive training on ethograms and brown bear ecology. This preparatory training aims to equip the interns with the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct behavioral observations accurately and consistently.
Monitoring will take place on a daily basis, excluding Wednesdays when the Bear Conservation Area of ARCTUROS is closed to the public.
Interns will observe for a total of 180 minutes per day; six 30-minute-long sessions between 10:00am and 04:00pm.
Each observation session will be divided into 2-minute intervals and behaviour occurring at the beginning of each interval will be recorded. Interns will record 18 behaviors within a 30-minute session.
By participating in this monitoring internship, interns will play a vital role in advancing our understanding of brown bear behavior and its interactions with the environment and other bears. The insights gained from this research will contribute to the conservation and welfare efforts of captive brown bears, fostering a deeper appreciation for bears and their conservation needs.
Lynx Behaviour Research
With the support of the Research Department of ARCTUROS, this internship will be carried out to study the responses of captive lynx to the presence of people (visitors) in their environment, and their interactions with neighboring wolf packs hosted in adjacent enclosures.
ARCTUROS will provide comprehensive training on lynx ecology and ethograms at the start of the internship. This training equips you with essential knowledge and skills to conduct behavioral observations effectively and accurately.
The ultimate goal for this internship is to evolve into a long-term project, continued by multiple students and researchers. To ensure reliable data collection, we have established two standardized monitoring spots on-site. Behavior will be recorded using systematic time-sampled written descriptions, where figures represent posture and letter/syllable abbreviations symbolize locomotion and other behaviors. This method allows for detailed and swift behavior recording, remaining easy to remember and document. Both the figures and letter abbreviations will later be translated into number codes for data analysis.
