Madras Crocodile Bank School Workshops and Junior Zookeeper Programme
by Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
Hands-on reptile care and snake safety
2,232 participants
Booked half-day and full-day reptile workshops for school groups and families, including a hands-on Be a Zookeeper session.
Mode
In-Person
Fee
Registration fee applies
Participation format
Individual and team
Teams of 10 to 20
Duration
Half-day or full-day workshop, depending on the programme booked
Time needed
Half-day or full-day workshop
Eligibility
Open to school, college and university groups and to family groups that book in advance. Programmes are designed around the age group and field of interest stated at booking. Interactive sessions are run for groups of about ten or more, and reptiles are shown to groups of under twenty. No separate age band is published for the hands-on Be a Zookeeper session.
- Eligibility region
- Available nationwide across India
See if your child qualifies.
Benefits
- Hands-on zookeeping with trained keepers
- Snakebite prevention and first-aid learning
- Guided access to a recognised reptile zoo
- Take-home educational materials
- Programmes shaped to the group's age and interest
Skills your child builds
Key dates
- Enrollment
- Open all year
Madras Crocodile Bank Trust / Centre for Herpetology, Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu
How to apply
- 1Email the education office with group details
- 2State the age group and field of interest
- 3Confirm programme, date and group size in advance
- 4Attend on a day the park is open
Rules and guidelines
- Programmes are booked in advance by email
- The park is closed on Mondays
- Reptiles are shown to groups of under twenty
Fees and financial support
Fee details
Education programmes are charged, and the trust reports environment education as a separate income line in its annual accounts, but the per-participant rate for school workshops and the Be a Zookeeper session is not published and is quoted by the education office at the time of booking. Separately published on the visit page are park entry at ₹110 for adults and ₹50 for children aged 3 to 12, a guided tour at ₹400 per person, and a virtual reality show at ₹40 per person.
About this opportunity
The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust runs pre-booked education programmes for school, college and family groups at its reptile zoo, pairing guided reptile encounters with a hands-on Be a Zookeeper session.
Programmes are built around the age group and field of interest a group states at the time of booking, and run as either half-day or full-day workshops. Sessions cover reptile identification, feeding and enclosure care, and the trust's snakebite prevention and first-aid material for children.
In the Be a Zookeeper session participants work alongside trained keepers to help care for lizards, snakes and chelonians under supervision.
Child-facing content focuses on identification, myth-busting and snakebite first aid rather than the handling of venomous species. Named programmes include Be a Zookeeper, Reptile Encounters, Reptales, Reptile 101, Zoo and Me, snake walks and guided tours. Booking is arranged by email with the education office, and the park operates Tuesday to Sunday.
Academic details
Difficulty: Introductory
What's covered
An inquiry-based and activity-led curriculum that uses the zoo's living collection and naturalistic enclosures to teach reptile biology, conservation and safe coexistence with snakes.
Frequently asked questions
How do students apply what they learn in these sessions outside the zoo?
Sessions cover snake identification, prevention around homes and fields, and correct first aid after a bite. The trust runs the same material for farming communities and school children in several states, so the learning is intended for everyday use rather than for the visit alone.
Do children handle venomous snakes during the programme?
No. Published accounts of the trust's work describe live-snake practice as limited to adult rescuer training. Child-facing content covers identification, myth-busting, prevention and first aid, and the hands-on zookeeping session involves lizards, snakes and chelonians under the supervision of trained keepers.
How are safety and supervision handled during hands-on sessions?
Participants work alongside trained keepers throughout. Programme protocols revised in August 2023 allow reptiles to be shown only to groups of under twenty people, and only while routine zoo management activities such as basking and enclosure cleaning are under way.
How far in advance should a school book a workshop?
Programmes are pre-booked rather than run as walk-ins. Schools email the education office with group size, preferred dates, age group and field of interest, and the programme is then designed and confirmed for an agreed date.
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