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
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.
Lion tamer: Rosie Badger gets to work feeding the 250kg animals
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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