A dream come true

Stoke-on-Trent animal lover Sue Gibson’s dream came true when she turned keeper for a day at DZG, thanks to her partner’s Christmas gift.

Sue said: “I have always been envious of people who work with animals, so being able get so close to them was an absolute dream come true.

“I was amazed at the level of close interaction I got to have with so many of the animals I have only ever seen from a distance before.”

During her day, Sue was able to shadow keepers and got the opportunity to work on every section of the zoo and met birds, giraffes, big cats and primates.

Sue added: “I got to meet Peter the penguin and Sprout the baby orang utan – who was absolutely adorable.  I gave the chimps a drink of blackcurrant juice, fed the lemurs, giraffes, meerkats and even a snow leopard!

“To me, Dudley Zoo is what a zoo should be, with keepers who love their animals and are passionate about their welfare.

“It was definitely a day I will never forget and I hope to visit again, soon!