First to meet our lorikeet
Bromsgrove schoolgirl Alice Ryan made a feathered friend when she became a DZG Little Keeper for the Day.
The 11-year-old from Tardebigge – pictured left – was the first of our young keepers to handle a yellow-backed chattering lorikeet in our Discovery Centre.
The colourful birds, an endangered species, are regular stars of our daily Go Wild! shows but Alice’s visit was the first time they were introduced to our Little Zoo Keeper for the Day experience.
Alice’s mum, Sally, said: “We were told this was the first time the lorikeets had been introduced to the young zoo keepers and Alice just loved it.
“The birds were her favourite and it was really special to see her holding one.”
Alice, a pupil at Dodderhill School in Droitwich, was treated to the experience as an early 12th birthday gift and was joined on the day by her friend Adi Powell.
Mrs Ryan added: “She hasn’t turned 12 yet and already she wants to come back and do it again for her next birthday!”
Yellow-backed chattering lorikeets, like Red above, are a threatened species in the wild; around 5,000 are caught every year for the pet trade.
Along with deforestation, this has meant the lorikeet population has decreased by between 30 to 50 per cent in the last 20 years.
