Ok so ive been here just over a week and as I feared there is no internet and mobile reception is terrible. So my new and shiny blog wwhich was meant to show my day to day life here at the zoo is kind of pointless. I will try to update it weekly but its harder said than done.
So my week so far: its been quite an eye opener to the world of woofing. I dont know what I was expecting but I thought but at least a few other people to chat too. Well no. Within 2 minutes of arriving I wanted to leave, not just here but Australia all together. I felt out of my depth and uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong the hosts are very nice but it was a shock. The first day I was able to work with 2 work experience girls who showed me the ropes and explained everything. They also made the shed we were sleeping in a little less scary. They unfortunately left the following day leaving me alone and definitely in the deep end.
My job in summary is zoo keeper. I do everything for the animals and then in my 'spare' time I do extra jobs. I start my day the same up at 7.30 ready to srart by 8.30. I make all the animals food then off I go in my truck to feed them all. The food chain goes; guniea pigs, capuchin monkeys, bonnet monkey, rhesus monkey, samba deer, ducks, llama, emu, white kangaroo, agile wallaby, swamp wallaby , wambats and lastly dingos. Thats the first run. All the animals get different food and variations, all the food is donated from local supermarkts so it all depends on what we get. The dingos get meat, the meat is killed on site - either a sheep, cow , deer or horse depending on which animals is sick/oldest. We get animals donated from people for the lions/dingos as well. As a veggie I originally said no to chopping up the meat but after time it was just easier for me to do it. However even with my apron and gloved my stomach turns every time especially tonight when the slab of meat still had an ear attached.
After the first feed I do the green run, this is where I sort out all the donated greens into boxes and deliver them to the deer; red deer, samba deer, rusa deer, white fallows and normal fallows. I then feed the goats all the rotten and crap food left over.
After I collect the eggs it's lunch - normally 30 minute or longer depending on how busy the zoo is.
At 1.30 we have lion feeding at this time i take on of the dingos for a walk to meet the visitors and answer any questions I can. Its then monkey feeding again. I go in the capuchin monkeys and depending on their mood I either have a nice time of 20 mins of hell as they gang up on me.
I then clean my work station. Each day I am allocated different jobs, each day will be poo picking on a rotation then added jobs in top.
At about 4 I feed the capuchins again, quoll, ducks, cockrals and the pet dogs.
Then my day is over!
Thats the running order all day every day. Im slowly getting use to it. I hope ill get another woofer soon fir company more than anything. I think ill stay another 3 weeks then back to Melbourne for some relaxation, a scrub down and a long overdue skype session home before my next woofing experience.
Photos to come
