Brushing up on DIY skills

DZG’s shorter opening hours are enabling keepers to brush up on their DIY skills.

Putting in extra hours before and after their normal working the day, the Ungulates team have repainted the tapirs’ sleeping den as well as weatherproofing the wooden façade of the giraffe house and sprucing up the internal walls.

Ungulates Section Leader, Jay Haywood, said: “We always leave these kind of tasks to times when it’s not so busy on site, so this time of year is perfect.

“We came in early to paint the tapir den in the South American paddock and sent Chico, Meena, Ronnie and the capybaras out for the day and used large fans to dry the paint as quickly as possible, so that it was ready for them to return – not that it will stay looking fresh and clean for long!

“And we’ve also been re-staining the giraffe house at the end of the day, getting as many sections of the wooden exterior done as we can each evening before it gets too dark, so that it’s ready for the harsher weather in the next few months.”