It might sound obvious, but to work as an animal keeper at the Lake District Wildlife Park, a love of animals is necessary. What is not so obvious is that there is a lot more to the job than just being around animals all day!

Throughout lockdown our keepers are working hard to ensure all your favourite animals are well cared for.

Due to the vast diversity of species that we house, a wide range of specialist knowledge is required. As you can imagine looking after Urma the three metre Burmese Python is a bit different to looking after Amber and Koji, the otters!

What this means is that some of our keepers specialise in looking after primates, whilst others are experts in the field of reptiles. However, our keepers do often cover for each other and so are required to have basic knowledge about all our animals. One universal skill that is required to be an animal keeper is the ability to scoop up poop and our keepers do spend a lot of their time cleaning up poo!

Other daily tasks for a keeper includes the preparation of food, managing dietary requirements and replenishing supplies of fresh water. Looking after animals also requires a keen eye to spot any unusual behaviour that may indicate an animal is unwell and needs further observation. They provide enrichment to ensure the animals get daily exercise and mental stimulation. Alongside this they also check the animal enclosures and ensure their houses are safe and warm.

When we are open, the other huge part of a keeper’s job is to engage with our visitors and to enthuse people about wildlife and encourage behaviours to conserve the natural world.

Cover keeper Hannah Loughnane says: “My favourite part of the job is the keeper talks or leading one of our Ultimate Animal Experiences because it brings back to you how lucky we really are, knowing that people want to give up their time to essentially be with our animals for an hour. It is lovely to talk to the adults and children who share my passion.”