Newquay Zoo - Animal Food Prep Volunteer - Meat and Fish

Aim of volunteering role:

Support the keepers by preparing food for our animals. The animals have healthy appetites - most have two to three feeds per day - so we need plenty of help to get them ready in time. It’s an interesting position and a chance to learn more about the animals and what they eat.

The objective of the volunteer role is to:

Prepare feeds for the animals on the bird, primate and carnivore sections.

Tasks:

Chopping meat and fish products; Washing up of used bowls/buckets and cleaning of surfaces after use. Filling enrichment devices with food; Handling live insects – feeding and cleaning.

Time:

Most volunteers offer a morning per week, generally start between 8:00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m. and take approximately 2 hours to complete.

Place of duty:

Food preparation areas

Department mentor:

Team Leader

Skills required:

Confident using a knife; Able to follow instructions; Not afraid to ask questions if things are unclear; Must be reliable.

Materials required:

Knives are provided. Please wear comfortable.

Any health and safety requirements:

Staff you support will talk you through all relevant health and safety requirements and risk assessments for the duties that you will be carrying out, with you needing to carry out full training for the role, including online manual handling training. Follow guidelines given during training on use of knives and cooking equipment to be used. This role means that you will be on your feet for the whole time you are preparing the food.

Please note that all volunteers for this role must be aged 18 years or over