Introducing Georgie

There are a lot of people that work behind the scenes at the Isle of Wight Zoo who have big personalities, hearts and commitment to the zoo, to its animals and to our conservation projects in Madagascar and India.  If you've been reading my blog for some time now but didn't know me before, you will by now have gathered that I LOVE my job at the zoo and am sitting here typing this with a big smile on my face as today I am going in again to tour guide for a school that has asked for me for the third year running. The children literally make my week when I see them!  The rest of the week I am an estate agent for my sins, working in Cowes which I also love but in an entirely different way!! My vendors call me the 'Lion Tamer'!! I am wife to Paddy - we recently celebrated our 20 year wedding anniversary, and we have 3 lovely children, Stuart (who also works at the zoo) 16, Harrison 13 and Rosie who's 10.  After working here for 5 years, this being my 6th season they now know as much as I do about the animals at the zoo!! For the last three years I have run the Great South Run in aid of our tiger conservation project. I have yet to run it in our tiger suit but never say never!!  Many people ask me who my favourite animal in the zoo is, and I tell them we aren't allowed favourites, but if I am squeezed for an answer, I have to say, Chiquita the jaguar, Aysha the tigress, Nahla the lioness, Millie the spider monkey and Andro the red ruff lemur, love them all!!! The best part of my job is first thing in the morning when I'm cleaning the cat windows and the cats come and rub up against the fence to say hello. Also when families come at the beginning of the day expecting to stay for an hour, but instead end up following me on my talks all day, leaving at closing time with their hearts and heads full of love and things they didn't know about the animals!!  I share my blog on Facebook and ask my friends to 'like and share' to spread the word, it would be fantastic if you are reading this if you would do the same!!  I will be telling you about more of our team over the next coming weeks, thanks for reading this, I'm here every Monday!!