Recommended reading

Below is a list of animal and conservation books I've found very useful or interesting; one way or another they've all been of use to me as I work towards my career of choice. I hope they'll be interesting for you too!

The Animal Contract - Desmond Morris

One of the first books I ever read on animal conservation. Although the author is also known for his work on human psychology, Desmond makes a compelling argument for why the human is reliant on the well-being of  almost every animal. In particular I appreciate the conclusion involving 10 major elements of how people should ideally treat animals.

The Serengeti Lion 

I had to fit in a lion book somewhere! Besides "Big Cat Diary," this book has been highly useful in my public education and individual research work. Indeed a lot of the information used in my public lion talk comes from this book! Particularly interesting is the observational study on social behaviours, especially how lions do "play-bows" to each other in a similar way to dogs/wolves.

The Wolf Talk - Shaun Ellis

Shaun Ellis is my idol in the world of animal care and education; I once visited his base of operations (per se) at Coombe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park to check on a wolf by the name of Lady Penelope who had moved on from Dartmoor Zoo. I spent over an hour listening to his wealth of knowledge about wolves, and he seemed more than happy to help. This book should give you an idea of how passionate Ellis is towards the conservation of the wolf, both in a hands-on manner and in terms of classic and modern conservation methods.

When Elephants Weep - Jeffrey Mason/Susan McCarthy

It's rare to find a non-fiction book that you can REALLY get stuck into, but this one managed to hook me flawlessly. It's not just about elephants; from lab animals to pets to comparisons between zoo and wild animals, there's all manner of unique animal behaviours to learn about here, and all while tugging at the heartstrings of human emotions.

Spirit of the Wild - Steve Bloom

I love a spot of photography, but I know I'll never been a match for this guy! Steve's worldwide theme is seldom bettered, and the book includes information about the circumstances surrounding each image to boot.

Origins and a tribute

This video plays a unique and memorable sound that is now missing from Dartmoor Zoological Park.

It belongs to an African Lion by the name of Solomon, who sadly passed away this month at the age of 17 (almost 18) years old. As far as lions go, that's a very grand age to reach; in the wild most lions wouldn't last past the age of 13. The record in captivity apparently is age 25, but Solomon wasn't out to set any records by any means. Born in Heythrop Zoo, Oxfordshire, Solly came to Sparkwell, Plymouth at the age of 3 under Dartmoor Zoological Park's previous management. There he met two lioness' Emma and Peggy, and eventually had cubs of his own, one of which still lives at Dartmoor Zoo today, by the name of Josie.

Dartmoor Zoo's enclosures undergo great changes with the seasons. Many animals, including Solomon were fond of the changes of plant life, and always took a chance to soak up the sun. Lions are actually rather nervous animals; in this photo Solomon is keeping an eye out while his daughter gets some rest. 

This post may seem unusual at first glance. Why would I devote an entire entry to a single animal? Truth be told, Solomon was the animal that convinced me I wanted to work with animals, therefore talking about this highly influenctial animal will give me a chance to talk about my roots in the professional world of animal care and education. Before the summer of 2007 I had worked as a volunteer at a local cats' and dogs' home, with minimal animal care. The majority of my time was spent doing cleaning and grounds-work, and interacting very little with the animals. At this point in time I honestly saw myself heading in a different direction altogether career wise. Then one day our family saw an advertisement in the local papers at Dartmoor Zoological Park's reopening. I was always curious about the place and wondered why we'd never visited under the park's previous management. Despite anticipating the rush of the crowds and media, we went along out of sheer curiosity alone. It was a task in itself to see the animals for all the cameras and press staff pushing and shoving their way to the fences of the enclosures. Here after all was a place that had escaped from a dreadful fate. This was annoying to say the least; I had really wanted to see the zoo's famed big cats, and felt like I'd walk away without so much as a glimpse.

I didn't realise it but I learnt something that day; the first of many facts I would pass on to guest after guest about African Lions. Although they can see their reflections they can't recognise themselves. Solomon and Josie were already on edge at the sudden appearance of so many people on their turf, but seeing themselves - "new" lions - in all these camera lenses made them put up a guard even more. Lions are by nature very skittish animals, as is true in a lot of social animals, and Solomon made every effort to charge towards crowds, thus scaring them away from being so close to the fence! At one point, he did so when I was about to give up and walk away from his enclosure. I took the chance to slip in and view a real life lion for the first time. I wasn't to be disappointed. Only moments later Solomon and Josie banded together in a roar that I won't soon forget. I spent a good deal of time watching their behaviours in pure fascination. This rubbed off on all the other animals for the rest of the day; I was eager to go back whenever I got the chance, although at the time I thought I'd return as just another guest.

Being a social animal, Solomon bonded with people to different degrees. For example those who fed him but never shut him indoors were more in his favour, and vice versa. Here is an example of one of his silly faces when a pair of keepers - one of which he liked and one he disliked - came to feed him. His wide eyes demonstrate his alert nature, but his mouth currently does not show teeth; clearly he wasn't sure if he should be happy or angry!

November 2007. The papers advertised Dartmoor Zoo again, only this time they call for help. The zoo had an upcoming education department and urgently required volunteers to help with either grounds-work or taking care of a collection of reptiles and insects. At first I thought I could help clean up the zoo grounds, but thanks to my parents helping calm my nerves, I decided to try the animal care side. Although I recall my shaky first impressions - I didn't know the difference between a turtle and a tortoise! - I also recall how much I achieved in a single year. Me and a close knit band of volunteers helped create an entire zoological education department out of a dark, dusty office and what had previously been the zoo's shop and office. As we expanded, my duties began to reach out across the zoo. When the keepers needed help, they knew they could call us anytime. Thanks to this I have:

• Helped raise a group of Coatimundi babies.
• Helped train a tiger to be used to a complete strange.
• Created public talks, signage and enrichment in co-operation with the keepers.
• Prepare food and nutritional supplements for big cats, mammals, birds and reptiles.
• Maintain enclosures, come rain or shine!
• Make valuable contributions to the zoo.

Solomon trying his hardest to open a hanging sack filled with food. Lions are by no means the strongest of the big cats, so this took him a good while to rip open.

About half a year after completing our education department's base of operations, we were able to begin public talks. These started off rather basic. At first I was only sharing basic facts about Agoutis and Otters, but only a month later I was able to pass on my own custom-made presentation about the zoo's African Lions. In life I'm normally a very anxious, socially shy person, but even in the face of massive crowds, I feel all my fear wash away when I do what I do best.

From then on I've had a lot of unusual stories to tell, and I always strive to share them with our visitors. When it comes to Solomon and Josie, there is so much I can share. I've witnessed these lions share food, climb trees, play with toys, quake in fear and even hug each other. One of my fondest memories was when we gave Solomon his first large enrichment toy under new management; a cardboard giraffe. Despite pooling a lot of time into our building of the giraffe, it was so shaky it could hardly stand up on its own accord. Solomon watched us from indoors as we tried propping it up against a tree. He may not have been the smartest lion in the world, but he knew to simply tap the model to knock it over, rather than put more effort than necessary into it. Since then I've been back with many other toys, and I've always attended the zoo on Boxing Day to offer that little bit  more to the animals who would otherwise be forgotten at Christmas if it wasn't for people like us who see them as more than just "animals." From frozen blocks of blood to hanging sacks to a hollowed-out land rover  Solomon, Josie and I seem to go way back, which only makes his passing worse... 

Boxing Day at the zoo. Solomon enjoys a Christmas present of his own.

I've worked with animals who have passed away before, many of which are lions, and it never really gets easier to handle when you get to know them so well. They become more than just an animal with a human-given name. Below is a selection of photos of other lions who helped me get where I am today.

 Rwanda, Rufigi and Ruma - Some of the lions I worked with in 2010 and 2012 in Zambia. The first photo was taken only 1 week before Rwanda died of a skeletal disorder that claimed his sisters 2 years before himself. Despite his suffering, he was always closely bonded to his fellow lions and handlers; I look forward to sharing more about my experience with these lions in the future.

 Charlie - Originally from Longleat Safari Park, Charlie moved to Newquay Zoo for 2011 to give his half-sister Connie company. He was the most nervous lion I've ever seen, with a roar that could only just be heard from next door at our college. He died of old age in the same year, but he and Connie gave me valuable insight into how life in animal care and education will be, and helped me raise funds for the African Lion and Environmental Research Trust in summer 2011.

Solomon died peacefully early February 2013. I'll be honest, myself and others who have known him shed some tears, but he has left a long lasting legacy. His daughter Josie. The keepers and volunteers of Dartmoor Zoo. And of course myself. It's strange to go back and see Josie on her own, but I will personally see to it that she becomes social again. Even lions get depressed, but I can't let Solomon down after coming this far can I? 

Rest in peace.

Research, past and present

Following a change of situation at Dartmoor Zoo, my first proper post is about my ongoing personal research project; a behaviour study on our local African Lioness, Josie. She looks like this:

And she's doing a fantastic job advertising the zoo too!

Josie has lived at the zoo all her life, along with her father Solomon, who was born in one Heythrop zoo and moved to Dartmoor Zoo at the age of 3. He looks like this:

Admittedly Solomon is a bit of a skittish character, but I do have better photos in my portfolio.. on the right side of this webpage.

This isn't the first time I've carried out research with these lions, let alone animals in general. In the past I've done the following research projects, all of which are handy to mention during public education sessions, as they're all of equal importance to the zoological community:

• Enclosure use and feeding habits/behaviours in Dartmoor Zoological Park's African Lions, and how these findings complement each other. At one point, Solomon and Josie were seen sharing food with each other, and very rarely showed aggression.
• Social studies of lions preparing for release with the African Lion Environmental Research Trust. This included observations of which lions were most closely bonded, and who reacted positively to their own reflection in a mirror place outside the enclosure boundaries. Lions can see their reflections, but they lack what is called "Theory of Mind" which is to say they cannot recognise themselves or the identity and (complex) feelings of others. Using the mirror had a surprising result; the shyest male Zulu hogged the mirror, reflection and all and emitted all manner of vocalisations to show his happiness at seeing himself! 
• Behavioural studies of wild elephants in Livingstone, Zambia and the entirety of the Mosi-Oa-Tunya national park. Although these animals don't get up to much in short spans of time, just finding them was an achievement in itself, and figuring out how stable social groups are is of utmost importance.
• An online survey for the general public about current, modern conservation issues. Sound familiar? I'm still running it out of curiousity! There's a poll at the bottom of this blog to answer if you have time to please. Although the results no longer count towards the study itself - which was carried out during my time at Plymouth University - they are still interesting for myself and others to read. The original study aimed to relate the importance of religious beliefs such as Christianity, Buddhism and the lesser known animal-based belief Therianthropy with conservation issues. Would certain religious communities support the addressing certain conservaton issues more than others? Apparantly they would, especially as far as therianthropy is concerned. More information on therianthropy can be found at http://therianinfo.webs.com/therianthropydefinition.htm

Theta-Delta; symbol of the Therianthropy belief system. Although Therianthropy is not strictly a religion, it follows specific principals and therefore some people refer to it as a spiritual way of life.

You can always ask me for more details if you're interested in these studies! 

The current study with Josie at Dartmoor Zoo is a lot more basic than some I've done in the past, but it will be very important. I'm not at liberty to say why at the moment, but I will make another blog post as soon as I have the all-clear to do so. What I can say is that this study will take place over a long period of time - maybe even a few months - to observe changes in behaviours such as territorial acts (e.g. roaring), feeding habits and use of enclosure enrichment and toys. Since no two animals are the same, whether wild or captive, zoos need information like this to figure out important details like which enrichment devices make an animal stress out, how social animals interact with each other, and which animals are potentially compatible with animals in other zoos altogether. Most importantly, this information can be used for captive-release projects to determine which individuals are most suitable, however Josie is sadly not going to be involved in a project like this.

We can even anticipate how often animals will perform some behaviours if they happen to be "stereotypical." This means your average wild animal would not perform the behaviour to the extent a captive animal would. In some case, stereotypical behaviours should not be performed at all, because they're detrimental to the individual's health and signify stress. You can use research like this to figure out how often animals show stressful behaviours, and then act upon it accordingly with enrichment, new feeding rotas and more besides. On the other hand, you can always watch for how animals react to enrichment you're already using, like Solly here:

This video was recorded 3 years agos at Dartmoor Zoological Park. It shows Solomon the African Lion detecting a strong smelling substance placed on one of his enclosure's trees, and roaring to mark his territory. As roaring is a social behaviour, his daughter Josie joins in.  At Dartmmor Zoo, these substances usually include curry powder or catnip.

Catnip tends to reduce even the biggest of cats to cubs. Solomon is a prime example of this; although lions cannot pure, they do emmit a loud, low pitched moan when they're particularly happy which people mistake for a purr. During my time in Zambia, lions would happily moan away when greeting us or each other. A lion's roar comes from the diaphragm, while the moan is from the voice, hence why some lions can have very squeaky moans sometimes, even when fully grown! The same goes for other big cats such as Amur Tigers.

Vladimir, the world's only pacifist Amur Tiger, at Dartmoor Zoo. Previously known as a Siberian Tiger, Vladimir lives with his 2 younger sisters Blotch and Stripe, and while he is the largest big cat in the south-west, he doesn't have a rough-and-tumble nature. In fact he's even nervous about play fighting  Any attempts he makes at chasing his sisters are rapidly turned around on him!

Apologies if this post is too lion-based, but the African Lion is my specialty animal, so I thought I'd focus on what I know best to begin with. I'm truly fascinated by the complex behaviours of this social species, and I've gone from strength to strength applying my new-found observation skills to as many other animals as possible. This includes watching Asian Short Clawed Otters to see if any of them are taking too much food from their partners, or watching how fish in the National Marine Aquarium's largest tank make use of their enclosure at different times of the day. All useful information to know, and it makes me feel very smart to look back on it and share it with you all! Of course, once my study is completed, I'll be sure to share my results as soon as I can, but I'll need to get all my raw data and the statistical analysis' done first, so you will need to be patient on this one. Accurate studies aren't done in a day..!

An African Elephant in Livingstone, Zambia. This particular individual wasn't a wild elephant, but we observed over 30 wild individuals in a single day during a study in June, 2012.

Welcome

Why hello there, and welcome!

I'm a humble and admittedly modest volunteer at Dartmoor Zoological Park, but you may also have seen me hanging around places such as Gables Dogs' and Cats' Home (Plympton, Plymouth) and Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park (Livingstone, Zambia). I'm Matthew Dickinson, and I've got a lot of stories to tell!

Over five years ago, I never would have believed I could have made it to where I am today. It all started when I spotted a small job advertisement in the local papers. "Volunteers wanted to help re-build zoological education department." Based on my previous work at Gables, I assumed this work would mostly be ground-cleaning and making the place look spik-and-span for the public as it were. Nevertheless I wasn't sure where my career was going to take me at that point - this was before I even finished my GCSEs. What I was sure of was that this Dartmoor Zoological Park place had animals I'd like to learn more about, and that without people like me they may even die thanks to the zoo's state at the time. I hadn't even heard of the place until that time, but I decided to dive into the position anyway, and was met with a very warm welcome! Things started slowly as to be expected from an absolute beginner. Heck, I didn't even know the difference between a turtle and a tortoise, immediately calling my personal favourite reptile in the collection the wrong thing entirely! Looking back however I'm amazed at how far I've come. I've co-operated with seven different "bosses" and dozens of other volunteers to help transform Dartmoor Zoological Park's education centre from a spot in the back of a shop to a pair of classrooms acting as a stronghold for our zoo-wide education programmes.

There's plenty more to tell about my past at DZP, but I'd like to save these stories for other posts when I get a chance. I'd also like to use some space to briefly introduce the African Lion and Environmental Research Trust, or ALERT for the short of mind and time. I've been on a pair of voluntary placements with this charity thanks to the generous support of my family (underlined so they spot this!), bursaries from specialist organisations and through my own personal efforts of saving funds from 'Chrimbo' jobs. Why did I go to the trouble? I'll put it this way; don't believe everything you read. There are some truly spiteful websites and newspaper articles that cast this charity in the wrong light, and there isn't a shred of truth to their harsh words. ALERT's "Lion Rehabilitation and Release into the Wild" conservation scheme is a piece of genius for a species that urgently needs it. To briefly summarise it here, the project takes captive bred lions, ensures they grow up to be healthy, socially stable adults, and releases them into controlled wild environments of 10,000 acres in size. Here they are free from human threats; there may be fences but you'd be hard pressed to call it anything but the wild. Furthermore the cubs they have are naturally timid around humans, and can be taken to areas in Africa that need new additions to the gene pool as quickly as possible. The African Lion is my personal specialty subject, and to be surrounded by the magnificent animals, and to communicate with so many others as passionate about the species as I am was pure bliss. Never mind my worries about the mosquitoes and snakes, I'll never forget my time in Zambia! Allow me some time in the future and I'll talk about some of my duties, the local culture (including languages!) and where this work experience should hopefully take me in the future.

And ultimately this is what it boils down to. To work in the zoological environment requires a lot of experience; probably a lot more than what I already have even. Even six years on and I still seek full-time employment in animal care and education, but in all those years I've got a lot of stories to share with you all. So please do drop by from time to time, and I'll update this as regularly as I can. I hope it will be fascinating to read, and if you are interesting in working with animals like me, I hope it can offer insight as to the kinds of things that go on in this line of work!

Thanks for reading! Please take a moment to check out the websites on the right, and the polls at the bottom of the page. You can also find episodes of ALERT's TV series, "Lion Country" above the polls. A photo gallery of my personal best animal snaps is coming soon too. Here's an example!