The Herps and Aquatics department are home to a majority of Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s fish, invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians. Herpetology (Herp) Interns will gain experience caring for these animals in a fast-paced and challenging environment to prepare them for their future in the field of animal care and training. The goal of the intern program is for skills accrued here at Brookfield Zoo Chicago to be applicable to any other animal facility, and to teach the interns how we provide exceptional animal care.

Interns in this area will work closely with keepers to understand husbandry and management of a variety of animals including fish, snakes, turtles, caecilians, frogs, salamanders, lizards, and crocodilians. Interns are exposed to diet preparation, exhibit maintenance and design, record-keeping, animal training, life support maintenance and design, animal observations, incubation techniques, animal handling techniques, and other care. Through their close work with keepers and their understanding of suggested reading materials, interns receive practical experience in keeper duties and learn many aspects of captive animal management.
 

As part of their experience, interns are required to do a short research project relating to any aspect of animal husbandry they choose. Suggestions will be given to the intern such as: coral growth, coral fragmentation study, light studies, iguana habituation, tarantula breeding, and others.
 

Our goal is to give interns a well-rounded experience and basic skills necessary to begin a career in animal care.