Houston Zoo college interns work to save animal lives

The Houston Zoo has teamed up with ExxonMobil to prepare the next generation of conservationists who will protect wildlife from extinction, in part by helping educate families and others how they too can help save animals and the plants they depend on.

College students participating in the Houston Zoo Collegiate Conservation Program sponsored by ExxonMobil spent the summer learning about animals and their habitats and gaining hands-on experience. They also helped educate Zoo visitors on how they can help animals like the Texas tortoise, Houston toad and Great Plains rat snake by planting native plants in their yards.

The Houston Zoo Collegiate Conservation Program sponsored by ExxonMobil is the only program of its kind in the nation. It annually trains 10 college students from around the country.

As part of the Houston Zoo internship, university students working toward degrees in education, biology, zoology, environmental science and other related fields are paid over the summer to study various animals and learn about their natural habitats and creative solutions to help protect animals from environmental and other factors which may endanger them.