The first Saturday job I had was done for love, not money, at London zoo when I was nine. I was working with elephants, learning about them and, along with the keepers, I was allowed to help put them to bed at night.
It all came about after one day I decided I didn't want to go to school, so instead I crossed Regent's Park, climbed over the fence of the zoo and ended up near the elephant enclosure. That's when my love of animals was completely confirmed.
The keepers said: "These are dangerous animals, boy, you can't do that! If you want to come in, knock on our keepers' gate and we'll teach you about them." They liked my enthusiasm and cheek, and so I learned all I could from them, about some of the most dangerous animals in the world.
The elephants were always talking to each other. At night they lived underground in a big concrete den. Towards the end of the day, they became more and more excited about running down into their warm den, where food and fresh bedding were waiting.
I learned about their body language and communication. They'd make hoots of joy when running towards the den, and deep, contented rumbles when they were eating their food. I smile when I hear reports of "new" discoveries around elephant communication – I've been aware of this from a young age. And not just elephants, but pandas, gorillas and lions too.
At the age of 12 I went to live in the highlands of Scotland, a childhood surrounded by wildlife. But those zookeepers were lovely people who taught me so much. Back then, in the 1950s, it was a low-paid, unglamorous job. They just did it because they adored the animals.
Today many zookeepers are highly trained, and the good ones are strict about continued learning about the animals. Many zoos realise they have a role to play in animal conservation.
Terry Nutkins is supporting the Save the Gibbon campaign to protect endangered primates.
Comments in chronological order (Total 1 comment)
10 January 2011 2:17PM
I would have loved that as a Saturday job when I was younger as I was desperate to be a zookeeper (it started out as wanting to be a vet and then I realised I didn't like science). Terry Nutkins, I am very jealous of your younger self.