Senior keeper Laura Robbins was up with the lark for a marathon paint-in to transform the tapirs’ internal enclosure.
Laura said: “We aim to paint it at least twice a year as tapirs and their room-mates the capybaras, are messy creatures and the place soon starts to look grubby.
“But it’s quite a big area to cover and we have to get it all done and dried within the day as the tapirs need to get back in there to sleep!”
She added: “I started at about 6am and it was still dark when I arrived on site and I did get a few looks from the animals, as if to say what are you doing here at this time, but I wanted to ensure it would be dry before bedtime.
“Thankfully, the weather was good so the tapirs didn’t mind being locked out for the day!”
Laura repainted the beige external walls in the South American paddock for Brazilian tapir family, Chico, Meena, Ronnie, Tallulah and baby Eve.
She added: “It looks so much fresher, but I don’t expect it will stay that way for long, they’ve already started scratching up against my lovely painted walls!”
