Hi, this week George is taking a break from blogs and this one is coming from me, one of the many Jess’s on our Primate team. This week’s blog is inspired by National Hello Day last week, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce WWP’s wonderful Primate team and let them all say ‘Hello’ to you guys.
Jess B
First off, I’ll introduce myself, I’m Jess B, Deputy Head of Primates. I’ve just gone on maternity leave, so you won’t see me for a little while but I wanted to say a quick Hello and See you later from me.
What do you enjoy most about being a keeper?
Sounds cheesy but seeing the animals every day, even if you’re having a bad day the animals will always put a put a smile on your face and make you laugh. I also enjoy the training aspect and the bonds you get with the animals.
What’s your least favourite thing about being a keeper?
Cleaning windows, they are never ending on the Primate section. The Chimps and Mandrills always seem to love smearing poop over a lovely clean window.
What would you be if you weren’t a keeper?
Well…I am just about to have a baby, so I will become a full time Mum, whilst on maternity. But if I couldn’t do keeping, I always wanted to be a Ballerina when I was little.
How long have you been at WWP and how did you get into keeping?
I’ve been at WWP for just under 2.5 years. I started off volunteering at a Primate Rehabilitation Centre in South Africa. Then I got offered a full time position and then became the Project Manager. I started off at WWP as a Primate/ Bird cover keeper and then went full time on the Primate team.
What’s your favourite snack?
I love pastries; maple and pecan twists, pain au chocolate…anything.
What’s your favourite animal?
I have so many, but I love dogs (bit boring when working with some amazing animals) I also love chimps.
What animal would you be and why?
I would be a chimp, they are not too dissimilar from us, can be known to be completely over dramatic but also fun, playful, and sweet.
What’s your favourite animal poo to pick up and least favourite?
My least favourite is Mandrill and favourite is Sloth, as it’s always in the same spot, piled up neatly and should only be found around once a week.
George- Head of Primates
George is the comedian on the Primate team, always doing impersonations and voices and generally making us all belly laugh. Apart from keeping us and the animals all in check, she helps oversee everyone’s animal training and has to deal with all the paperwork side of things.
What do you enjoy most about being a keeper?
The relationships you build with the animals and seeing their faces every day. Also working outside every day, I don’t have the mental capacity to be based in an office!
What’s your least favourite thing about being a keeper?
Smelling of poop ALL OF the time.
What would you be if you weren’t a keeper?
I have a vast background in working in children’s entertainment so something along those lines or I would combine the two and become an animal care lecturer.
How long have you been at WWP and how did you get into keeping?
I’ve been here for 3 years. I started off at university studying Zoo Biology and then went to become an Intern at both Howletts and the Big Cat Sanctuary. I was then a seasonal Education Officer at Woburn Safari Park, then became a full time Education Officer at Howletts whilst also volunteering on the carnivore section, before becoming a full time Gorilla Keeper there for 7 years.
What’s your favourite snack?
Chocolate- all of the chocolate.
What’s your favourite animal?
I have too many, and it changes daily. I’ve always had a fascination for lions and ever since helping to hand rear some tigers, they’re pretty high up on my list. As are gorillas. And chimps. And I quite like elephants….
What animal would you be and why?
Giant Panda as they are cute and cuddly (or stupid and clumsy as Jess L thinks…read on)
What’s your favourite animal poo to pick up and least favourite?
My favourite is Bushbaby poo as it’s really small and easy to pick up and my least favourite is chimp poo especially when it’s sloppy.
Holly- Senior Keeper
Holly is the builder on the Primate team, she has constantly got the drill and screws and either fixing enclosures or building new enrichment. She is responsible for training the Goeldis and has got them scale trained and crate trained. Holly has been working on syringe feeding. She is also going to be taking over the Mandrill training from me, where we have been working on body part presentations, needle training and scale training.
What do you enjoy most about being a keeper?
I love training, building and enriching.
What’s your least favourite thing about being a keeper?
Picking up chimp/Orangutan poo.
What would you be if you weren’t a keeper?
Health and Safety Inspector. (Holly has been known to be a little haphazard sometimes and has ended up in A&E from a Stanley knife injury)!
What’s your favourite snack?
Chocolate Hobnobs.
What’s your favourite animal?
Highland Cow- they are cute and fluffy
What animal would you be and why?
Mandrill, so I can smear poop and someone else has to clear it up.
What’s your favourite animal poo to pick up and least favourite?
Favourite colobus- easy to sweep and least favourite Chimp, especially when they have a bad tummy.
Faith
Faith is the bubbly personality on the Primate team and when she’s not running around doing extra jobs, she is training the Howlers and Squirrel monkeys, she has scale trained and crate trained the squirrel monkeys and is working on scale training the Howlers.
What do you enjoy most about being a keeper?
I really enjoy training, especially the Apes when you get one to one time with them.
What’s your least favourite thing about being a keeper?
I really don’t like doing the Macaque deep clean and shelf day (scrubbing all of the high shelves in the Chimps), I always seem to be on it.
What would you be if you weren’t a keeper?
Thats a hard one, it would be something animal related.
How long have you been at WWP and how did you get into keeping?
I have been at WWP for just over a year now. I studied Animal Biology at University and then went on to intern for a year at Chester on Parrots and Penguins, and then became a full time Primate Keeper here.
What’s your favourite snack?
Maltesers.
What’s your favourite animal?
Orangutans specifically Belayan, he’s just so cute and round.
What animal would you be and why?
I would be a lap cat and they are nice and chilled.
What’s your favourite animal poo to pick up and least favorite?
Favourite would be Howler as it is usually all in a nice little pile ready to pick up and least favourite is Callitrichid poo, its stinks and the smell stays on you.
Jess L
Jess L, also known as Baby Jess, is the super speedy member of the Primate team. She whizzes around our cleans and likes to bring us baked chocolatey treats. She is responsible for training the Colobus, she is currently working on scale training them, which is going really well. Although, sometimes it’s difficult to get their long tails on the scales, so she has been working on getting their tails on the scales too.
What do you enjoy most about being a keeper?
Training and being greeted by the Chimps every morning with their happy noises. I also love the bonds we have with the animals.
What’s your least favourite thing about being a keeper?
Doing the bin round, Mandrill poo picks and scrubbing chimp poo from the high up windows.
What would you be if you weren’t a keeper?
I would be a professional coffee taster.
How long have you been at WWP and how did you get into keeping?
I’ve been here for 5 years. I started volunteering here and then worked in the café before becoming full time Primates. I am also studying for my Diploma in the Management of Zoo and Aquarium Animals (DMZAA) course.
What’s your favourite snack?
Biscuits- especially bourbons and custard creams.
What’s your favourite animal?
Giant Pandas, they are stupid and clumsy.
What animal would you be and why?
I would be a Lemur; they are just cool and I’d get to hang out with Lulu (our oldest ringtail Lemur)
What’s your favourite animal poo to pick up and least favourite?
Colobus poo as it’s easy to sweep and put in a bucket.
My least favourite is Mandrill poo.
Jess H
Jess H is the chilled-out member of the team. Everything is taken in her stride, and she is very rarely flustered, Jess is also very funny and has recently got engaged! Jess is responsible for training the vervet monkeys, she is currently working on scale training them and has trained them to present different body parts for health checkups.
What do you enjoy most about being a keeper?
I really enjoy the training part of the job but also being in a job that is active. I love seeing the animals everyday which I know sounds cheesy.
What’s your least favourite thing about being a keeper?
Emptying the bins, woodchip turns and cleaning the Orangutan drain.
What would you be if you weren’t a keeper?
I don’t really know, I never had a backup career, it was go big or go home!
How long have you been at WWP and how did you get into keeping?
I’ve been at WWP for 5 ½ years. I decided to do some volunteering at an Animal Rehabilitation Centre in South Africa and then went on to do an internship at Paradise Wildlife Park for 6 months and then became a keeper here. I started off being a keeper at Sandwich, then became a cover keeper at WWP and then went to full time Primates.
What’s your favourite snack?
Chocolate buttons.
What’s your favourite animal?
Chimps, they are so fun to work with and you can build proper bonds with them.
What animal would you be and why?
A sloth as I like napping!
What’s your favourite animal poo to pick up and least favorite?
My favourite is definitely sloth poo as they don’t poo very often, and it is easy to pick up. My least favourite has to be the chimp poo paintings.
Dani
Dani is the super clean one on the Primate team. Her cleans are always spotless and she always goes the extra mile to make everything shiny. Dani trains the lemurs and has been working on crate training them and scale trains them regularly.
What do you enjoy most about being a keeper?
I enjoy the interactions with the animals and the different personalities. I also love training.
What’s your least favourite thing about being a keeper?
Weeding stinging nettles and emptying the bins.
What would you be if you weren’t a keeper?
I would be an animal photographer or a professional athlete like a gymnast.
How long have you been at WWP and how did you get into keeping?
I have been here for 2 years. I went to college and did Level 3 Animal Management. Then I went on to do work experience and volunteering at Fenn Bell when I then managed to get a part time position and then a full-time position. I started off at WWP being a Primate/Bird Keeper and then became a full time Primate keeper.
What’s your favourite snack?
‘Free from’ chocolate and crisps
What’s your favourite animal?
Lemurs- I’m obsessed. They are just amazing. I feel like I have an emotional connection with them.
What animal would you be and why?
I would be a…lemur. 😊 I love climbing, like a lemur, although I don’t like sunbathing and that is a big part of lemur life. I’m very food orientated just like a lemur.
What’s your favourite animal poo to pick up and least favourite?
Lemur poo is easy, however the wallaby poo in the walkthrough is never ending. Mandrill poo is the worst!
Henry
Henry is one of the newer members on the team, he is always going out his way to help the team out, but he is also very accident prone and clumsy. He has started training Edgar the Emperor Tamarin.
What do you enjoy most about being a keeper?
Interacting with the animals.
What’s your least favourite thing about being a keeper?
The Mandrill deep clean
What would you be if you weren’t a keeper?
I would be a Lifeguard (Henry is a trained lifeguard outside of Wingham)
How long have you been at WWP and how did you get into keeping?
I have been here for 2 months. I studied Animal Management at college, then did work experience here with Mammals and Primates. Then I got a job as a Seasonal Keeper supervising the Lemur Walkthrough before being offered a full-time position on Primates.
What’s your favourite snack?
Custard Creams
What’s your favourite animal?
Lemurs as I spent 5 months working with them
What animal would you be and why?
Lemur as I love sunbathing like a Lemur.
What’s your favourite animal poo to pick up and least favourite?
Favourite is Lemur and least favourite is Cotton Top Tamarin.
Sarah
Sarah is our adventurer. When she isn’t working, Sarah spends her time at the theater, going on holiday or doing anything Disney related! When she is working, however, she is responsible for training the gibbons, including pesky Pickle and is working on getting them to present their arms for blood draws and have regular weigh in sessions.
What do you enjoy most about being a keeper?
Getting to be around animals all day, and just getting to be outside not being stuck in an office all day.
What’s your least favourite thing about being a keeper?
Cleaning the Mandrills or any sloppy poo
What would you be if you weren’t a keeper?
Theater technician, anyone who knows me knows how much I love musical theatre and I can’t sing or dance so it would have to be that. Or a cast member at Disney world.
How long have you been at WWP and how did you get into keeping?
I have been at Wingham for 2 half years in total. I got into keeping because I lived by a zoo growing up and was fascinated by animals and I definitely prefer animals to people sometimes.
What’s your favourite snack?
Marvelous Creations Chocolate
What’s your favourite animal?
It’s a tough choice between Lemurs or Gibbons but I’m going to have to say, Gibbons!
What animal would you be and why?
A classic, but a Sloth because I always want to have a nap.
What’s your favourite animal poo to pick up and least favourite?
Favourite is Colobus, it’s really easy to sweep into a pile and pick up in one go. My least favourite is Mandrills because they like to smear it everywhere so it’s a messy one.
Savannah- Apprentice
Savannah is the creative one on the team, she is super neat and has done some beautiful information sheets and redesigned and drawn our diet boards and enrichment sheets. She trains the Cotton Top Tamarins and Red Handed Tamarins and has managed to get them scale trained.
What do you enjoy most about being a keeper?
I really enjoy interacting with the animals and getting to know their different personalities.
What’s your least favourite thing about being a keeper?
Cleaning muck buckets and changing foot dips.
What would you be if you weren’t a keeper?
I don’t know, I would like to be sleeping a lot more? Ha. I would like to do something in musical theatre.
How long have you been at WWP and how did you get into keeping?
I’ve been an apprentice for just over a year now. I studied animal management at college and did my work experience at WWP on the Primate team. I was then very lucky to get the apprenticeship here.
What’s your favourite snack?
I love grapes (Savannah is apparently the healthy one on the team)
What’s your favourite animal?
Chimps- I’m amazed at how similar they are to us and how smart they are. They have such a wide range of personalities.
What animal would you be and why?
I would be an Orangutan as they are so peaceful. I love how Belayan watches people in his tunnel. They just look majestic and really cool.
What’s your favourite animal poo to pick up and least favourite?
Colobus as it’s easy to pick up. My least favourite would be Mandrill.
Callum – Apprentice
Callum is our newest recruit and at just 16, he is definitely the baby of the troop. Fresh from school, Callum is undertaking an apprenticeship with the primate team. So far, he has picked up a wealth of knowledge and makes us laugh every day, whether he means to or not! Steadily growing in confidence, Callum enjoys working most with the howler monkeys and the night monkeys.
What do you enjoy most about being a keeper?
Apart from working with George, I love seeing the different primates every day and learning more about them all the time.
What’s your least favourite thing about being a keeper?
Cleaning out the muck buckets! Literally 5 or 6 full buckets of poo every day!!
What would you be if you weren’t a keeper?
Maybe an Actor as I did Drama at school.
How long have you been at WWP and how did you get into keeping?
I’ve been here for three months now, undertaking a two year apprenticeship. I have just finished school and my GCSE’s and wanted some hands on experience working with animals. With my apprenticeship, I have to complete workbooks, assignments and exams as well as all the practical work that the keepers do daily.
What’s your favourite snack?
A KitKat Chunky but the cheap brand!
What’s your favourite animal?
Gorillas, I would love to work with them in the future.
What animal would you be and why?
An orca as they’re really cool and loads of things are scared of them.
What’s your favourite animal poo to pick up and least favourite?
My favorite is sloth poo as its small and easy but my worst is the mandrill poo as it stinks!
