Primate Section

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This team care for some contrasting animal species from primates to invertebrates. The bulk of the section comprises of monkeys, lemurs and reptiles but there are several other animals to cater for along the way. The working day for this section starts at 8.30 prompt. The inhabitants of Natures Nightmares are woken as their lighting and heating is adjusted from night to day settings. Following this, a comprehensive health check is conducted. Identifying illness and other problems within these animal groups, (reptiles, arachnids, amphibians and invertebrates), is quite taxing as they are less likely than many mammal species to help you out by displaying behavioural clues as to their well-being. The next step is to prepare any daily morning medications or veterinary treatment and then pay a visit to each of the primate sections mammals.

With a familiar voice, and a few breakfast snacks, the team successfully complete a roll call and health check for each individual. The carers are well informed about the species for which they are responsible. They combine sound technical information with personal knowledge of individuals to ensure the highest standards of healthcare for the animals are met. Where necessary, medical treatments will be administered at this time and the zoo's vet may be in attendance to carry out a routine examination of the animals. Security checks are performed on all outdoor accommodation to safeguard against animal escape or injury. Some primates have a TV or radio switched on to give them the opportunity to indulge in a little morning entertainment. Once the team are happy that all is OK, they will break for a warm, or cold, drink (depending on the season!) before jumping feet first into an industrious day whereby both animals and zoo visitors are given first class attention and care.

As an invaluable part of the education department, the team are depended on to allocate some of their time to bringing the message home to visitors about global issues which affect endangered species while also informing about the biology of certain animals and sharing exclusive information about individual's characters. As far as the animals are concerned though, the immediate tasks for this point of the day are food preparation and cleaning of accommodation.

Dietary requirements on this section are very varied. Specially formulated diets are made up using, amongst other things, fresh and dried fruit and vegetables, nuts, pellets, seeds, pastas, bread, dairy produce, flowers, insects, meat and even baked beans and tea! Next comes delivery of the foodstuffs to the expectant animals. The way in which the meal is presented is highly important in terms of enhancing the individual's physical well-being and cognitive abilities. For this reason, the team will have to have organized the feeding plan in advance as it forms an integral part of the zoo's environmental enrichment programme. Once lunch has been served to the sections animals the team can recharge their batteries with a meal of their own.

After the lunch break there is a fully scheduled afternoon of work to do. Certain areas may be in need of sprucing up, perhaps some gardening or extra cleaning is needed, or animal environments may be targeted for some 'interior design' as directed by the enrichment programme. Additional and future ideas for the programme are often discussed in the afternoons and past enrichment events are scrutinized for their effectiveness. Towards the end of the afternoon a second course of food is prepared for many individuals and handed out accordingly. Those animals on medication will receive their treatments along with their meal.

The final routine of the day is the morning routine in reverse. All mammals are given a health check and they are signed in for the night. Natures Nightmares animals are similarly checked over and counted up before having their lighting and heating converted from day to night settings. By this time the natural light may well be starting to fade so the team must retreat into their office to write up the day's maintenance and security records and fill out animal health charts, diaries and report forms. Only then can they leave for home, often with the eerie nighttime calls of the lemurs echoing into the distance.