Why did the zoo employees decide to live with the pets for 3 months?
Why did the zoo employees decide to live with the pets for 3 months?

Video: Why did the zoo employees decide to live with the pets for 3 months?

Video: Why did the zoo employees decide to live with the pets for 3 months?
Video: "Hands Up" - YouTube 2024, May
Anonim
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Many people now live in self-isolation. Someone is hiding from the virus in a city apartment, someone outside the city. But there are those who have isolated themselves right at work and flatly refuse to return home. No, well, it's one thing - to work where you live (“remote work” is still a widespread phenomenon) and quite another thing - to live where you work! These strange people are employees of the English zoo. However, if you look at it, they are not at all strange, but, on the contrary, they do a very important thing. Four selfless girls stayed here to care for the animals.

Voluntary isolation at the zoo will help preserve animals and birds
Voluntary isolation at the zoo will help preserve animals and birds

Two weeks ago, the Hale Zoo (Cornwall) Paradise Park announced that it was temporarily closed to visitors. And this is, of course, connected with the coronavirus pandemic. In response to the news, four employees - Izzy, Emily, Leila and Sarah-Jane - volunteered to move to live at the zoo. During the 12-week (!) Period of self-isolation, they will be near the animals. The girls will be assisted by duty officers who come in shifts.

Self-isolation in the company of birds and animals
Self-isolation in the company of birds and animals

- Absolutely all employees of our wildlife park are really very devoted to animals, but some have vulnerable family members at home - for example, the elderly or people with chronic diseases who cannot be infected with the coronavirus. And when employees heard the recommendation to self-isolate, they had to decide for themselves whether it was worth going to work during this period or whether it was better to be with their families. Several employees said that for the entire time of self-isolation, they will remain in Paradise Park in order to be close to animals and birds around the clock, without risking the health of their families, - explained the director of the zoo Alison Hales.

Four girls left their families and moved to live at the zoo
Four girls left their families and moved to live at the zoo
Birds and animals require constant care
Birds and animals require constant care

A week and a half ago, four female caretakers, taking with them the most necessary things, moved to a house located on the territory of the zoo. One of them, Izzy, explains this decision as follows: if the epidemic situation in the city worsens and all zoo staff go out of action, then at least she and three of her colleagues will be able to continue caring for the animals.

Someone has to stay in the ranks
Someone has to stay in the ranks

Paradise Park is home to 1200 birds. In addition, you can find exotic and other mammals here - for example, red pandas, Asian otters, baby mice (this is one of the smallest mammals on Earth), red squirrels, as well as charming farm animals kept in the park. Even without a pandemic, caring for so many pets (and this is feeding, cleaning, treatment, and so on) is not an easy task. Now it is all the more difficult.

More than 1200 birds live in the open-air zoo
More than 1200 birds live in the open-air zoo

The director of the zoo says that almost all animals and birds of the park react indifferently to the absence of visitors.

- All our wards lead a normal life. Penguins, as always, receive food twice a day. Numerous birds of different species, sensing the coming of spring, began to mate and build nests - says Alison, - however, there are many different species of parrots, and I feel that the most friendly and sociable of them still felt the absence of visitors. They seem to be asking the question: "Where is everyone?"For example, a couple of umbrella cockatoos, who are usually very active in communicating with people, upon seeing me in the morning, began to frantically shout "Hello!"

Sociable parrots are bored without visitors
Sociable parrots are bored without visitors

According to the "self-isolating" employees, after Easter, the zoo will start making so-called "photocalls" - to send small groups of visitors to the zoo so that they can help with feeding the penguins, pet them to take pictures with these funny creatures. In addition, according to the annual schedule, training will begin for eagles, vultures, hawks and a number of other bird species that take part in the park's free demonstration flights every summer.

By the way, in order to stay connected with visitors, Paradise Park regularly updates its pages on social networks, as well as launches live broadcasts from webcams, allowing nature lovers to observe wild animals in their daily lives.

In the company of penguins and other exotic inhabitants of the zoo, three months will fly by unnoticed
In the company of penguins and other exotic inhabitants of the zoo, three months will fly by unnoticed

Of course, self-isolation in a zoo has its advantages.

“It’s magical to walk around the area when all the feeding and cleaning work is complete, and calmly watch the birds that lead their usual lives. And what a joy it is to wake up to a chorus of tropical birds, being not somewhere in southern countries, but in the English town of Cornwall! - employees say.

Read also how how animals were rescued in Soviet zoos during the war.

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