What these women do for a living will certainly surprise you
WORDS: VERONIQUE HAWKSWORTH. PHOTOS: ANNE-MARIE BICKERTON. HAIR AND MAKE-UP: SHERRIE WARWICK, LIZ KITCHINER. STYLING: HARRIET DAVEY. PAULA WEARS: JUMPSUIT, NEXT; EARRINGS, H&M. CATHERINE WEARS: DRESS, TOPSHOP AT ASOS; EARRINGS, ORELIA. FARHANA WEARS: WAISTCOAT, NEXT; EARRINGS, PILGRIM. CHARLOTTE WEARS: COAT, NEXT; SUNGLASSES, NEW LOOK
‘IT BEATS WORKING WITH HUMANS!’
Paula Stewart, 42, lives on her own in Liverpool.
Whether I’ve got a snake coiled around my arm or I’m wrangling goats out of a pen, my job is certainly no regular day at the office. Having previously worked as a manager for musical artists, it’s safe to say my current clients are a bit different, but funnily, not quite as demanding.
I’ve always had a love of animals, after spending my childhood on my parents’ egg farm with chickens, peacocks, dogs and cats. My dad taught me to care for all living things, but I didn’t consider working with animals until he passed away in 2013. By then, I was 32 and was working as a talent manager. Needing somewhere to channel my grief, I adopted my gorgeous Rottweiler x bull mastiff, Mitzi. Not long after, a friend asked if I wanted to work as an animal manager at her animal casting agency. I thought a new challenge would be good for me, so I agreed.
I began working with domestic creatures – mostly cats – using my expertise as a talent manager alongside my love of animals. After that, animals seemed to find their way to me. When a friend had to give up her pet tortoise, Geoff, I thought nothing of bringing him into my home. Caring for Geoff led me to learn more about reptiles, and I discovered a love of snakes and lizards.
Reptile lover
Before I knew it, I had adopted a royal python, a crested gecko and a uromastyx – a spiny-tailed lizard – and had transformed my living room to house their enclosures. I learnt how to train them by getting them used to being handled, and you can get them to move in certain directions using the scent of food and rewarding them. In 2020, I decided to set up my own company, founding The Animal Talent Agency.
A-list roles
Now, I provide animals for films, T
