This rigorous 12 week program is designed to provide participants the opportunity to build a solid foundation in the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully care for birds in a modern zoo setting.

Interns will be paired with experienced animal care professionals who will teach them how to provide the latest husbandry standards for a collection of over 70 species of birds. In addition to hands-on animal care there will be classes and exercises covering pertinent topics such as collection management, exhibit design, and incubation. There will be a focus on the critical thinking necessary to not only understand current management practices but also their origin and rationale.

Interns will also have the opportunity to develop their skills in how to communicate the important role zoos play in animal conservation by participating in keeper chats and formal penguin encounters.

The culmination of the internship will be an intern-designed project that furthers animal husbandry and welfare practices at Brookfield Zoo Chicago.