Goodbye, Sophie!

We’re saying goodbye to Senior Keeper, Sophie Dugmore, today who is leaving DZG after 12 years.

Sophie, from Dudley first arrived at DZG during a work experience placement from secondary school, where she quickly caught the zoo-keeping bug.

Sophie said: “I loved my work experience and I began volunteering at weekends and was so excited when a keeper position became available a few years later on the primate section, which I got – and the rest is history!”

Over the last decade Sophie has also spent six years working with the site’s birds, before returning to primates following her maternity leave and even met her husband, Mark, here at DZG, who was a fellow keeper!

Sophie will be moving to Halesowen College as their Lead Animal Care Technician.

She added: “I’m going to miss DZG, especially the gibbons and the orang utans, as I definitely feel like I’ve struck up a special bond with them over the years.

“But I’m looking forward to my new position. I studied animal care at Halesowen College as did a lot of other keepers here on site, so it will be nice to think I could be helping train some of the DZG’s future zoo keeping team.”

Good luck Sophie!