Alice Vassallo
Alice Vassallo, zookeeper at Shepreth Wildlife Park and comedian, is here to spill the beans on being a zookeeper.
• Listen to Asshole Animals on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
• Please visit: alicevassallo.co.uk and follow Alice on Instagram: @assholeanimalsswithalice
1. What inspired you to become a zookeeper?
When I was at university studying Classics, I started volunteering at a local wildlife rehabilitation centre on my days off from classes.
Looking after injured fox cubs and hedgehogs, I fell in love with being around animals.
From there I got a job at a nearby zoo – giving talks about the penguins and the sharks and watching the zookeepers work, I knew that’s what I wanted to be.
2. What is life like as a zookeeper? What does your role entail?
Zookeeping involves a lot of food preparation and a lot of cleaning up poop. We are essentially the janitors and lunch ladies of the exotic animal world.
But we also monitor the animals’ health, give medication where needed and do lots of training with them to make veterinary procedures less scary. And of course, there’s giving talks about the animals to the public.
Life as a zookeeper is varied – one day you’re training a macaw, and the next you’re scrubbing tiger poo from a pond in your wellies!
3. Do you have any favourite animals?
My favourite species to work with are clouded leopards – they’re such majestic, beautiful creatures with silly little personalities!
Our two girls, Kilat and Anya, are the loves of my life. Working w
