Realising a lifelong dream to work with lions, tigers and leopards

Chloe with Riley A graduating student at Bangor University who has spent her summer breaks volunteering at a game park in South Africa hopes to continue to work with animals following her graduation.

Chloe Silverwood from Burntwood in Staffordshire, who has received a BSc hons degree in Psychology, has a passion for animals that led to her working at the Seaview Game and Lion Park near Port Elizabeth, which primarily breeds lions to help re-establish the African white lion. Chloe was responsible for the park’s animals and helped with their intern programme.

Chloe explained, “I have worked in the park for the past three summers. My day to day tasks included walking older lions, bottle feeding younger cubs, carrying out farm-work, playing with meerkats and caracals, preparing meat, and taking the public into enclosures for handlings.

“I chose this project as I have always had a passion for animals, and felt it was a great way to learn and interact with them. I have learnt a lot about their behaviour and biology, as well as the importance of breeding projects.

“This summer the park had some new arrivals so I was taking care of six week old lion cubs, two tiger cubs and two leopard cubs as well as one year old lions I had bottle fed last year. I had the honour of naming one lion which was born when I was at the park in 2009, so I decided to call him Riley.”

Chloe being hugged by a tiger “I’m often asked why I’m not scared around the big cats, but after working with them for this short time; it is easy to pick up signs and signals from them, indicating if they’re in a cheeky mood!”

Chloe added, “The Park also sponsors an education centre in a poor area of Port Elizabeth and I had the opportunity to visit the school each time I was out there, and was able to personally hand over money I had raised in Bangor. I aim to return next year and stay for a longer period of time, in which I will be helping to run the volunteer programme and learning more about big cat behaviour.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my travels in South Africa. I’ve made many great friends, worked so closely with animals that others have never seen or touched, and I cannot wait to get back out there.”

Dr Fay Short, of Bangor’s School of Psychology, believes that Chloe’s degree studies have helped her in her volunteer work. She remarked, “I have no doubt that the deeper understanding of human and non-human behaviour gained through the process of her degree has supported Chloe’s work with animals.”

Describing how it feels to be graduating, Chloe said, “The Psychology course covers a huge range of topics which I mostly found fascinating, particularly Addictive Behaviours which I took in my final year.

“It feels great to be graduating. I’ve worked really hard to obtain my degree, and consider it to be a massive achievement. I would like to thank all the wonderful staff in the Psychology department who have helped and supported me over the last three years.”