Category: Top News
Published on: January 12th, 2024
Get to know the faces from the TV series!
Secret Life of the Safari Park has hit your screens giving you not only extraordinary access to our amazing animals but also introducing you to the awesome team of keepers who care for them. To give you an even deeper look behind the scenes, we've had a chat and asked them a few questions. This way, you can get to know some of the fantastic individuals who make up our dedicated team of keepers even better!
Discover more about the series here and don't forget, you can catch the team every Thursday at 8 pm on Channel 4 or easily catch up on all the episodes so far here.
Keeper Pete
What's your favourite animal to work with?
"That’s a really tough question. They are all so different, they all require such different approaches and all come with their own quirks and challenges. I love working with the Lions, they’re the species I’ve spent the most time with over the years, I’ve been with most of them since they were very young and watched them grow and develop. I love working with the baboons because they’re so unpredictable, so intelligent and entertaining, but equally, so challenging sometimes that they really keep you on your toes, and if you don’t bring your best, they’ll easily get the better of you."
What’s your favourite thing about your job or favourite moment from your job?
"My favourite thing about my job is that it is so unpredictable, no two days are the same, you never know what is around the corner. Sometimes that can be exhausting, but most of the time it’s what gets us all up and out of bed in the morning. It’s challenging on every level and this job demands a lot from you if you want to succeed and develop, like I said it can sometimes be exhausting, but it’s never boring. I have a lot of favourite moments from my job, successfully splitting and re-homing half of our lion pride was the most challenging but undoubtedly saved a few of the lions from an ugly fate, so was very rewarding in that sense. It’s also training new keepers, watching them develop and progress in what they do is equally as rewarding."
What are you most looking forward to with Secret Life of the Safari Park?
"I’m looking forward to the viewers getting to see the amazing stuff that the keepers see every day, sometimes that stuff might be easy to miss as you’re driving around. I really think that viewers will get a new appreciation for the park and how special it is, as well as getting to know the animals and the keepers a bit more."
Keeper Louise
What's your favourite animal to work with?
"My favourite animals are the Congo buffalo and our rhino herd. My favourite rhino is Winnie, she is our oldest and biggest girl, and the most funny and stubborn. If she doesn't want to do something, there's no way you're changing her mind. I have worked closely with Winnie for a few years now, and every day I get to see her, she brightens up my day. We have a great bond, and I would like to think she loves me as much as I love her!"
What’s your favourite thing about your job or favourite moment from your job?
"My favourite thing about my job is when I feel like I have made a difference in an animal's life, whether it's something simple or achieving a new goal. One of the best feelings is in summer when all the animals have been out overnight due to hotter temperatures and when you come in to work the next morning and check on them, they are all enjoying the sunshine."
What are you most looking forward to with Secret Life of the Safari Park?
"It will be good for everyone to see the good and the bad parts of being a zookeeper. I love my job, I have many highs, but it is also a way of life. We can't just go home, and work is done. Our animals are our lives, and all we do is for the benefit of all the animals in our care."
Keeper Charlotte
What's your favourite animal to work with?
"I’ve always had a lifelong love for tigers. Even as a child, I stuck posters up around my primary school highlighting the risks they face in the wild and ways to support their conservation. It’s such a privilege to work with them on a daily basis and be involved in the breeding programs that support their captive conservation."
What’s your favourite thing about your job or favourite moment from your job?
"Every day at Knowsley brings a new and exciting experience, and you are always kept on your toes by animals and humans alike! One of the most recent highlights of my job has been devising and implementing a recall training programme for our Bushdogs and actually seeing the results of it in practice. Training animals for recall and veterinary procedures helps us develop bonds with our animals and increases their welfare by minimizing the need for invasive procedures—a cause I am very passionate about as a keeper."
What are you most looking forward to with Secret Life of the Safari Park?
"I’m looking forward to introducing the public to our vast range of amazing (and often cheeky) animals, as well as showcasing the brilliant team we have here and the bond we all share over our passion for animal conservation and welfare."
Keeper Ben
What's your favourite animal to work with?
"I love the tapir and the hogs. They’re so unique looking and have great personalities."
What’s your favourite thing about your job or favourite moment from your job?
"My favourite thing about the job is getting to see how engaged members of the public are with the species at the park, and how much they enjoy watching them. It’s also great to see that people want to get a better understanding of the challenges these individuals face in the wild and how they can help conservation efforts even from home!"
What are you most looking forward to with Secret Life of the Safari Park?
"It will be great for people to get to know a lot of our animals on an individual basis, and the challenges they face engaging with other co-specifics that they live with!"
Keeper Becky
What's your favourite animal to work with?
"I don't actually have a favourite species at the park, it's more the individuals I work with that make my day. Somedays it can be watching the dramas unfold within the baboon troops, the communal roar of the lions, or even the way the bushdog pups look up at me before a feed. "
What’s your favourite thing about your job or favourite moment from your job?
"For me, it's the individual relationships and time spent with the animals. For example, I really enjoy the moments just before the guests arrive, as the sun rises and gives the animals a sort of glow as it warms their fur. As zookeepers, we have the privilege to enjoy these subtly beautiful moments and feel privileged to be part of their lives."
What are you most looking forward to with Secret Life of the Safari Park?
"Apart from enjoying the antics of our animals and keepers, I can't wait to see the public enjoying our amazing Safari; and hopefully encourage more guests to visit in the future."
Keeper Alex
What's your favourite animal to work with?
"My favourite animals to work with are the Yak and Camel."
What’s your favourite thing about your job or favourite moment from your job?
"Working in a safari park every day is different and after working here for over 10 years there have been a lot of moments to choose from. I am lucky to have been involved in several amazing experiences such as the transportation of many species including elephants, camels, and many deer. I have also been fortunate enough to be involved in animal training on section and have trained camels, yak, giraffe, and rhino. There are definitely too many moments to choose from."
What are you most looking forward to with Secret Life of the Safari Park?
"I can’t wait to watch my colleagues on TV."
