Saturday, August 16, 2014

The Lion Queen!

20-year-old lands her dream job looking after pride of eight big cats at Pembrokeshire Zoo

  • Rosie Badger will be responsible for upkeep of eight African lions 
  • She has undergone extensive training to prepare for the role 
  • Says she can't wait to start her dream job 
By Lucy Waterlow For Mailonline
A 20-year-old zoo keeper from Pembroke, Wales, has become the leader of a pride of lions. Rosie Badger will be responsible for the day-to-day upkeep of eight African lions at Pembrokeshire Zoo, Folly Farm.

At 250kg each, the big cats are four times petite Rosie's own weight and they can reach a height of over 8ft tall when they stand on their hind legs.  Rosie, along with the rest of the team at Folly Farm, has undergone extensive training to prepare for the role and said she can't wait to get stuck in.

Dream job: The 20-year-old has always wanted to work at a zoo

She said: 'I've always dreamed of not only working at a zoo but working with big cats like lions but I never imagined it would become a reality.'

'I've really enjoyed all the training we have done and am totally ready to take on my new role. I literally can't wait to work with such amazing animals on a day-to-day basis. I feel extremely honoured to be given the role and trusted with looking after the pride.'
 
Rosie has been taught about the strict safety procedures she must undertake when entering and leaving the enclosure to ensure the safety and well-being of both her and the lions at all times. She has also learned about the general behaviour of the lions, their diet and how to keep them stimulated. 

Zoo manager Tim Morphew said: 'I chose Rosie to be one of my lion keepers because when working with lions, trust is fundamental and I trust her explicitly. Not only is she very passionate about lions, she is meticulous and responsible and a proper stickler for routine which is extremely important when it comes to lions.

New home: Folly Farm has a new two-acre enclosure for the wild animals

Be prepared: Rosie has an animal science degree and has had full training to ensure the safety of herself and the lions at all times

'She is a highly capable zoo keeper and will make a brilliant keeper for our new lions.' After spending her childhood dreaming about working in a zoo, Rosie joined Folly Farm in Kigetty in 2012 after completing her Animal Science degree at Pembrokeshire College. Since then she has been working as a carnivore keeper with everything from giraffes to squirrel monkeys, enabling her to gain experience with a huge variety of animals and develop and enhance her zookeeper skills.

Rosie will be responsible for feeding the lions as well as cleaning out their enclosure

Having now landed her dream job as a lion keeper at Folly Farm, Rosie will be responsible for feeding the lions as well as cleaning out their enclosure and looking out for their health and well-being. 

She will also need to ensure that the lions are constantly stimulated by hiding their food and making them hunt for it and providing them with toys to play with.

The arrival of the lions at Folly Farm marks the completion of a £500,000 project to build a purpose-built, state-of-the-art two-acre enclosure for the lions at Folly Farm. It will also highlight the valuable work the attraction already does with UK charity Wildlife Vets International as part of its commitment to conservation, raising awareness and funds for in-situ big cat conservation projects.

The lion's new enclosure will be made up of four dens and visitors will be able to see the lions clearly in the house due to large glass viewing windows. These 39mm thick, laminated, bullet proof windows also provide clear and unrestricted views of the lions from three vantage points within the perimeter fence surrounding the outside enclosure.

Alongside the lion house is an education centre, themed as a fully-equipped ranger's hut, which will provide visitors with information on African lions and the work carried out by rangers in the wild to monitor and protect them.

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