Has anyone been on a "keeper's experience"?

hethmar

My d-i-l is animal mad (thank goodness!) and one of her dreams as always been to spend some time working in a zoo. I know there are a number of "experiences" that can be bought for people to shadow a keeper. Ive been looking at them and they seem SO expensive - there is a feed the meerkats (half an hour for £50 at Colchester - currently 20% off ) or 2 hours early morning at Banham Zoo for £100. London zoo wants a waking £170.

Its her birthday just before christmas and I was thinking of bundling two pressies into one - tight I know

But has anyone done these experiences? Are they worthwhile? Thanks.

getthemax

My neighbour bought one for her daughter at Twycross zoo, (she's late twenties). She was helping in the apes, and a quick search shows that the cost is £120.

It was one-to-one with the keeper for the day and started with early morning breakfast and then you had to do everything including feeding and mucking out. I haven't spoken to her about it since she went, but it seemed to be a very good deal.

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/zoo-keeper-Twycross-day/article-1665518-detail/article.html

If I find out any more details I'll post again.

meerkat2007

A friend at work did one of these at Blackpool Zoo as a "milestone" birthday experience, and she loved it. Looking at the website, "Keeper for the Day" is priced at £150 inc VAT, and you're not confined to just one section of the zoo.

http://www.blackpoolzoo.org.uk/keeper_for_a_day.cfm

Raksha

I did a day at Colchester Zoo a few years ago. There were supposed to be two or three others in the group, but I got really lucky and was the only one booked in for that day. It wasn't as 'hands on' as I'd have liked, but I did get to help with the environment enrichment for the Lemurs and the Porcupines, and hand feed the elephants (from a distance). Personally, I'd have preferred a days mucking out and doing everything a keeper does to the more selective experience.

Sooz00

I did a 'feed the lemurs' experience and OH's mum did 'feed the penguins' at the Cotswold Wildlife Park for £50 each which includes your park ticket for the day (worth £10). Thought it was v. good value. Spent longer than the half an hour with the animals and the penguin keeper even took us for a lovely cuppa afterwards, bless him! Dogs on leads are welcome in most parts of the park as well which is unusual.

They do a 'keeper for a day' experience too but they're £200 each. It really is a full day - 9am until 5pm.

http://www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk/

Actually going back as I bought another animal encounter on ebay for £35 so that may be worth a look as sometimes people can't take their experiences for one reason or other and some are just unwanted gifts.

hethmar

Thanks everyone.

Raksha, thats what I was worried about. Whether the Colchester £50 experience would be little more than actually being a visitor.

Raksha

Looking at the Colchester Zoo website, they are offering two different packages for adults - the £50 keeper shadowing' experience only covers one species for the money, and the actual 'experience' is only 30 mins long. The Keeper for a Day is what I did, although the mix of animals I had was different, as I got to do both the apes and the elephants (as well as Lemurs and Porcupines) It seems other places offer more of a hands on type experience.