Couple’s big cat charm

Female Sumatran tiger, Daseep, certainly impressed Barnsley husband and wife keepers for a day, Caroline and Gavin Mitchell.

The couple picked DZG for their keeper experience after spotting they could come close to the big cats, which was a ‘must see’ animal on Caroline’s wish list.

Gavin said: “We were in our element and feeding Daseep was a highlight. Tigers have fascinated Caroline all her life and she even sponsors a tiger in the wild. The opportunity to get up close to such a magnificent creature was an experience she said she will never forget.

“We enjoyed every aspect of the day and selecting favourites was far more difficult than we would have imagined.”

Alongside Daseep, the couple also fed lemurs and loved the friendly and gentle nature of our Brazilian tapirs.

Gavin added: “Every keeper we worked with was very knowledgeable, approachable and clearly loved their job and the opportunity to get up close to so many different species in one day was amazing.

“Neither of us had been to Dudley before, but we cannot speak highly enough of the staff we met and the excellent care all of the animas receive. We plan to return and enjoy a leisurely day at the zoo to see all of the animals. “