Patna: Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park in Patna has launched its first structured internship programme for college students, offering hands-on exposure to wildlife study and conservation while opening up new career possibilities beyond the classroom.
The initiative, introduced by the Patna zoo administration, is open to students of zoology, botany and statistics, and is designed to combine academic learning with practical observation of animals and ecosystems. Officials say the programme aims to nurture scientific curiosity and build sensitivity towards wildlife at an early stage.
The idea for the internship emerged informally, after students visiting the zoo’s library asked whether internships were available. The question prompted the administration to explore the possibility, eventually leading to the creation of a formal module that now forms the basis of the programme.
Interns are assigned responsibilities across the zoo’s 44 animal enclosures, spending around two hours a day observing animal behaviour, diet and habitat. Students are required to document their findings and prepare analytical reports, turning routine observation into a structured research exercise.
According to zoo officials, the internship curriculum includes orientation on wildlife conservation, animal behaviour and the interdependence between animals and their natural environment. At the end of the programme, students submit a project and receive a certificate of completion from the zoo.
The initiative has already drawn significant interest. Over the past three months, 165 students from institutions including Patna Science College, BN College and Patna Women’s College have participated. Currently, 32 students from AN College are interning at the zoo, among them statistics students analysing visitor data and preparing tourism-related reports.
Applications for the internship are routed through colleges, which must formally communicate student details and areas of interest to the zoo administration. Selected students are then grouped and invited for an orientation programme.
The zoo authorities say the scope of the internship will be expanded in the coming months to include school students and zoo volunteers, with the aim of fostering awareness and responsibility towards animals from a young age.
By shifting learning from textbooks to enclosures, the Patna zoo initiative seeks to show that education rooted in real-world experience can be both engaging and transformative, turning curiosity about wildlife into informed responsibility for its protection.
