Work Experience & Research

Work Experience at Paradise Wildlife Park

At Paradise Wildlife Park we take on a limited number of work experience students each week, throughout the entire year.
Our work experience placements are designed to offer young people genuine insight into and experience of what it is like to work as a Zoo Keeper in one of Europe's leading Zoos. We accept applications from individuals over the age of 16 (unless they are applying through a school, in which case the minimum age is 14). Places do fill up quickly and we have specific requirements that must be met before we can accept students - please see below for more details.

Demand for work experience here is very high (we are already taking bookings for Spring/Summer 2022). If you are interested in a placement we suggest you apply as soon as possible and the more flexible you can be with your dates the higher the chance of success.

Before Applying

Our Zoo is a very popular choice for work experience and unfortunately we cannot accommodate everyone who applies. The work is very physical and we expect students to be able to work independently. We can only offer a zoo placement after a successful interview. Please understand that not all candidates are suitable.

Please read this document

To Apply for a Placement

To apply for a placement please fill in the first page of the PWP Work Experience Application Form (see above) and provide us with the following information (which you can send us via email):

Dates & duration of placement you are applying for
Your age at the time of the placement
Where you study
What course you study
At what level you study (GCSE, A Levels, Level 1, 2 or 3, University etc.)
Why you have chosen Paradise for your placement
What you aim to get from the placement

Duties

General animal husbandry: Cleaning animal enclosures (with and without animals in them), giving fresh water, changing beds, disinfecting enclosures and objects in them, preparing feeds and sometimes assisting with feeding and enrichment, helping with fruit and vegetable deliveries
General maintenance of enclosures: Weeding, washing windows and railings, raking etc.
General site maintenance: Litter picking, sweeping paths, painting, emptying and washing bins and cleaning and tidying staff areas (feed room, hay and straw barn etc.)
You may sometimes be asked to help with manning walk-through exhibits, keeper talks and shows

Bear in mind!

It’s important to bear in mind that although you’ll be gaining vital experience of what it is like to work in the Zoo industry, around 80% of the day is spent cleaning and often not around animals! Please also note that our Work Experience students do not directly help on our Large Carnivore section.

If you are interested in applying you will need to attend a successful interview before being offered a placement. Please contact us regarding availability as places do fill up quickly.

We aim to support local schools and colleges and welcome applications from them which will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Placements at Paradise are extremely popular and students are advised to approach their teachers promptly to secure a place. We welcome students with an interest in the natural world to spend their work experience at Paradise Wildlife Park.

Research at Paradise Wildlife Park

Paradise Wildlife Park is dedicated to encouraging research that contributes to the body of scientific knowledge about zoos and their inhabitants. We welcome many external researchers, including students, who wish to conduct research projects at PWP. All researchers must fill out the appropriate application documents and have their proposal accepted before any data collection can take place.

If you are interested in carrying out research at Paradise Wildlife or would like to see our Priority Research List please contact our Research Officer at:

research@pwpark.com