International Women's Day! | Hertfordshire Zoo

This International Women’s Day we’re celebrating some of the incredible achievements of our team members here at Paradise Wildlife Park. From our CEO Lynn Whitnall who has been part of Paradise’s journey from the very beginning to Cassie our Big Cat zookeeper who carries out all her duties with pride and happiness! All our team members play an important role in the running of our Park and we are proud to have such a diverse and respected team. We wish to share the spotlight with some of the amazing women who have dedicated their time to working with us here at Paradise.

Get to know Keeper Cassie, who we walked around with for International Women’s Day to give us an insight into what it is like in the life of a Big Cat Zookeeper!:

What is it like looking after the Big Cats here at Paradise wildlife park?

I feel really lucky to be a part of the team looking after the big cats here at Paradise. They are all absolutely amazing and it’s a privilege to get to spend my days with them. Over the years I have been lucky enough to get to know each individual cat very well and that’s probably the best bit of the job, they’ve all got such different but fantastic personalities.

Out of all the species that you work with here at the park who is your favourite, and why?

That’s a really hard question! Every one of them has something special about them. But if I had to choose I would probably say the tigers are my favourite. They’re stunningly beautiful but also really smart and a little bit sassy. I am the primary trainer for our tiger sisters, Aleena and Siberia, and together we have achieved some really great things to help with their health and day to day care.

What is your favourite memory of an experience you’ve had while being a zookeeper?

There have been so many but the birth of Keira the jaguar is definitely up there. Her parents, Kumal and Kedera, were paired up here at Paradise as part of the Europe wide breeding programme. Kedera gave birth to Keira in 2017 and we captured the whole thing on camera. Kedera was an excellent mum, and watching Keira thrive and develop into a mischievous youngster was pretty special. Keira now lives at our sister site, The Big Cat Sanctuary and has become a mum herself! A great success for the breeding programme, ensuring a future for these awesome big cats.

What do you love to do while you’re not at work?

I really love walking, especially exploring the beautiful woodlands surrounding Paradise Wildlife Park, being amongst the trees always makes me happy! I also enjoy visiting museums, other zoos and aquariums. The Natural History Museum is one of my favourite places! My guilty pleasure in the evenings after a busy day at work is settling down with a cup of tea and a good (or so bad it’s good) horror movie!

What Advice would you give someone who wants to become a zookeeper?

The most important thing is to get some experience! Volunteering, internships and apprenticeships are all great ways to gain knowledge and skills. There are also plenty of relevant and really interesting courses available to those wanting to pursue a career with animals. Be patient and don’t give up, I volunteered once a week for around 2 years at Paradise before landing my dream job with the big cats.

What are you most proud of in your career?

Presenting at the First International Animal Training Conference was definitely a highlight. My team and I were approached to present on some of the training we had been doing with our cheetahs to assist in their healthcare. Presenting to a room full of other zookeepers and training experts was definitely daunting, but I feel very proud to have been a part of it!

Here at Paradise Wildlife Park, all our team members play an important role in the workings of the park and we are proud that our female team members find equality and transparency in working here at Paradise! CEO Lynn Whitnall stated that “I feel very proud to be able to lead an amazing team who not only achieve so much for the animals in our care and our conservation work but also providing families with an educational and fun day out” To our Curator Jessie , public relations Rebecca, head of HR Lisa to cleaner Jenny all make Paradise one family with one main goal the conservation of wildlife together in unity. You can explore some of the most exciting jobs in the world from a zookeeper to a zoo maintenance when visiting us throughout the year.