Page 18 - Ratel 2023 Summer

Ratel volume 50, issue number 2

Keeper Talk

By Sarah Blake.
I recently heard a fantastic talk at the ABWAK symposium where two keepers
shared their experiences of their time in Madagascar, doing some voluntary work
Somewhere beyond the zoo… with a Lemur charity out there. This was financially supported by the foundation
attached to the facility. Aside from having an amazing time, the keepers touched
There can be a certain kind of comfort to our on how important it was for them to see the realities of what was going on out
work within zoos. The place is familiar, the there. This understanding could enhance their talks and conversations with
people are (hopefully) friendly, the animals are visitors, alongside helping them get to grips with conservation threats, research,
amazing (of course) and we know where we and natural behaviours of the species regularly under their care.
stand with our duties and routines. The wildlife
park I worked in for over five years was most However, continued professional development doesn’t have to take you a million
definitely my comfort zone. It was a place I miles from home. The keeper exchange programme set up by the KEEP team
could call home when I didn’t feel like I had one, gives you the opportunity to work at another collection to improve your skills and
and it held within it a lot of reassurance at a time knowledge. We all have so much that we can learn from each other and the
when I needed it most. The thought of leaving opportunities which KEEP provide really encompass the intricately connected
it was terrifying, but I knew there were and passionate workspace which we all inhabit.
opportunities outside of my safety bubble and
the more I thought about it, the more I was Of course, having the ability to fund these opportunities, particularly on a
intrigued with what prospects lay beyond the zookeeper salary is a particularly difficult hurdle to overcome. However, don’t
zoo. forget that ABWAK has incredible grants up for grabs, and websites such as
Workaway can offer cheaper alternatives to paying to volunteer somewhere.
I decided to leave the zoo and travel, working
with animals as I went. As I sat on a plane, Ensuring the true ethics behind some of the opportunities advertised can also
shaking with fear and having just thrown up a be problematic so always do your research thoroughly and don’t be afraid to
significant amount of the previous night’s meal, question practices which might be raising red flags.
my fascination with chasing opportunities
outside of my safe and predictable routines The opportunities that lie beyond the parameters of the facility that we work at
seemed a ridiculous idea. I’d barely travelled are enthralling, diverse and, in most cases, very much needed in terms of
abroad before so what made me think I was available skillsets. Yes it might be scary to chase after them sometimes but it
capable of following animals around the planet? can lead to so much more. Reaching beyond what you think you know can make
But the opportunities it led me to would not only you a much better keeper, and mostly likely a better person too.
change the course of my career, but also my
confidence levels, my professional knowledge Ultimately, remember that your knowledge of animal management is incredibly
and even my species specialisms. valuable, and the opportunities it can introduce you to can be phenomenal. There
are additional possibilities beyond the zoo and all it takes is someone brave
From working with ex-bear bile bears in enough to reach out and grab an exciting prospect. Encapsulating both fear and
Cambodia, to farming herds of highland cattle intrigue, who knows where it might take you.
in New Zealand, I couldn’t believe what was out
there. At every place I learned so much about
animals, and the people that care for them. I
grew as a person, and an animal keeper. And
then came Vietnam.

I worked at a zoo there as their Animal Welfare
Advisor, supported by two charities: Animals
Asia and Wild Welfare (who I now work for).
The experiences I had there (both wonderfully
good and hauntingly bad) broadened my
horizons and my scope as a keeper. I had to
problem solve constantly; anything from
attempting to eradicate aggression issues to
encouraging natural behaviours with very
limited resources at my disposal. I was
constantly challenged to create positive
changes in animal welfare for species I wasn’t
all that familiar with, and work alongside people
whose language I didn’t speak.
It was a fantastic opportunity and one which
was to eventually change the direction of my
entire career. Had I remained in my safe space
back home, none of that would have happened,
and I often wonder where I would have ended
up without chasing those tantalising prospects
beyond what I knew at the zoo. Would I have
just plodded on and tried to be content with
where I was? Would I have even realised what
I was capable of?

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