London Zoo, with all of its exotic and beautiful animals, is always a fun day out. But perhaps you sometimes wish you could get on the other side of the bars, to take a closer look at some of the weird and wonderful creatures there - though perhaps not just before feeding time.
If you're over the age of 16, you might be interested to know that London Zoo runs
Keeper for a Day events where you can, indeed, get up close and personal with some of these impressive animals.
The seven-hour experience is far from cheap (£280), but it's a real once-in-a-lifetime experience that a true animal lover would never forget. It would make an excellent gift, or possibly inspire someone thinking about a career working with animals.
By all accounts, it's a busy day - you'll have a chance to help feed the giraffes, muck out the rhinos (careful where you step), and clean the penguin pool.
The London Zoo website says taking part in the Keeper for a Day experience also means you'll be able to go behind the scenes where the "big cats" live. Big cats? That means tigers and lions, doesn't it?
On the day, you'll be together with up to four other people, and assigned to one of the zoo's experienced keepers. They'll take care of you, explain about how London Zoo is run, and answer any questions you may have while you're there.
You'll be fed during the day (just like the animals!), and the event takes place come rain or shine.
Of course, if there's a particular task you don't want to get involved with, that's fine, although the zoo encourages everyone to do everything on offer in order that you get most out of the day.
The website lists the animals you can expect to meet. These are: giraffes, penguins, meerkats, monkeys or lemurs and big cats.
Animals can, of course, be unpredictable at the best of times, though the organisers of Keeper for a Day say that as long as you follow the instructions of the keeper, there should be no problems. To provide participants with extra reassurance, a talk will be given at the start of the day about what to do should certain unexpected situations arise.
There's an excellent
FAQ page about the experience here.
