blairdrummond safari park jobs

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Team Leader - Hoofstock

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park

Job title: Team Leader – Hoofstock

Location: Blair Drummond Safari & Adventure Park, FK9 4UR

Salary: From £28,000 p.a.

Benefits: Company Pension, Life Insurance, Staff Family Passes, EAP, 20% Staff discount in Park, free parking, uniform.

Working hours: 40 hours per week (10 days in 14)

The Company

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park was opened to the public in 1970 and was, at the time, one of Britain’s first safari parks. We are now one of the most popular visitor attractions in Scotland. The Park has a strong focus on conservation, education and the local community. We also run a successful fundraising program for conservation “link to the wild”.

We are currently looking for an experienced and confident team leader to lead a team of keepers working with our Hoofstock.   This position is offered on a full time, permanent basis.

This is an exciting opportunity leading a small team with primary responsibility for the management and welfare of with our extensive range of ungulate species managed in 2 drive through sections

Your duties will include, although not limited to:

·         Deliver the highest standards of animal welfare, including monitoring health, welfare, and general wellbeing.

·         Manage all day-to-day tasks, allocating responsibilities, including maintenance, cleaning food preparation & distribution and feeding 

·         Plan and order animal food deliveries. Be responsible for ensuring correct quantities, quantity and type is provided for each animal and stored correctly.

·         Responsible for maintaining the section and animal accommodation in a clean, safe & tidy condition.

·         Liaise with the vet on any given day regarding any animal health issues, following any instructions of medication and care requirements.

·         Dose animal medication as per vet's instructions

·         Maintaining all documentation relating to welfare standards.

·         Monitor diets against the condition of animals and life stages.

·         Responsible for all daily record keeping, ensuring staff are preparing all relevant documentation relating to animal welfare and husbandry

·         Responsible for all enrichment plans

·         Identifying potential routine/behaviour problems as and when they occur, working closely with the team, other collections and advisers to identify and implement solutions.

·         Mucking out of enclosures and animal buildings – maintaining all areas to a high standard, having an eye for detail, and taking pride in the department’s appearance.

·         Manage a team of staff including training, monitoring performance, dealing with any issues and reporting any concerns to the operations manager

·         Develop staff rotas, approve holidays and days off, taking into consideration busy periods and public bank Holidays.

·         Promote a positive attitude within your team.

Applicant Requirements

The successful candidate must be able to deliver an excellent level of animal husbandry and welfare for the animals on the department. They must have keen observation skills and be focused on making a positive contribution to the department and Safari Park as a whole. It’s essential that they are self-motivated and capable of managing a team in a supportive and positive manner.  They must be pro-active and take a hands-on approach within the department including some ground work and maintenance and with an eye for detail and presentation.

The candidate must have an interest and some knowledge of managing mixed groups of large ungulate species and their complex individual requirements.

Weekend, bank holiday working and flexibility in working hours is essential to this role. Some evening work will be required during special events throughout the year.

Ensuring the safety of our visitors, staff and animals is of key importance and ensuring that health & safety protocols are followed at all times. 

Essential requirements

• Animal care experience – minimum 5 years
• Experience leading and developing a team
• Demonstrable experience of providing species appropriate environments and enrichment
• Physically fit and hardworking
• Excellent observational skills
• Self-motivated and pro-active
• Demonstrable experience of following safe working protocols
• A current full driving licence

Desirable requirements

• Experience of working with ungulate species
• Animal related qualification to HND level or above.
• The zoo animal management qualification (DMZAA)
• Chainsaw licence
• Experience in operating heavy plant

Apply for this job:

Email [email protected] with a short covering letter and CV before 12th May 2023 Please use ‘Animal Team Leader – Hoofstock in the subject line of your email so that your application can be identified.

BIAZA, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY

General enquiries : 07593 580605 For press enquiries: 07593 580603 Email : [email protected]

BIAZA's office hours are 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday. Contact outside of those times will get a response when we are next in the office.

If your enquiry is urgent and you need a response before the BIAZA office reopens, please call Jo Judge on 07593 580602. If you wish to reach one of our members, please contact them directly.

The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales number 6789783. Registered Office Regent’s Park, London NW1 4RY. Registered Charity Number is 1128168 and SC040783 (Scotland)

• Terms of Use

Visiting us

We've got lots of fun activities planned and we cannot wait to see you! Please note that our opening times are variable for the remainder of the year - see below for more information. Make sure to book in advance as we are online bookings only.

There is plenty to see and do - with over 300 animals to meet, acres of adventure play, fun amusement rides and a wide range of animal talks and displays. If you are visiting during the week, our pizza hut and dessert shacks may be closed.

Ticket Prices

Important information, opening times.

We will re-open on the 16th March.  We will be open from 10am to 5.30pm each day.

Everyone (including our members) must book online in advance.  Tickets are not available to purchase at the gate.

Take care when booking to pick a date and arrival time that suits you.  We are unable to make changes or refunds once a ticket has been purchased.

Birthday parties at Blair Drummond

Got something to celebrate?

Looking for a unique way to celebrate your next special occasion?  We’ve got the perfect party package for you – from just £25 per child!

Seasonal membership

Members get more!

At just £50 per year for children, £65 for adults and £55 for seniors, Membership offers great value for money and makes the perfect gift for all animal lovers.

Members can visit the park time and time again throughout the year and enjoy some great perks – like 10% off all refreshments, rides and gift-shop purchases.

School visits

Plan the perfect class trip

Set in 160 acres of parkland, we’re the perfect location for a school visit. In a typical year we welcome over 1,000 class trips to Blair Drummond, and  we provide a safe, fun and educational space for learners of all ages.

Planning a virtual visit?  We’ve got some great videos, talks and fact sheets – all free to download.

Group Visits

Ideal for a group outing!   

We offer a discounted rate for organised coach parties of 20 or more of £18.60 for adults, £13.68 for children and £16.14 for seniors, with further discounts available for group sizes of over 100.

We can also help with catering, venue hire and VIP experiences if you wish.

If you’re interested in organising a trip, please complete our online booking form.

Conference & private events

Special occasion? No problem

Blair Drummond is the perfect venue for a memorable event.

We have beautiful private venue space,  a fantastic setting with appeal to all ages, and we can help with catering, team building and VIP experiences.  We can cater for group sizes from 15 up to 2000 people.

We’d love to hear from you for possible future visits.

Corporate tickets

Treat your employees to something different

If your company is looking to bulk buy tickets, we can offer a great discount. Valid for 12 months, corporate tickets are a great way to treat your staff and business colleagues to a great day out.

Tripadvisor

We had a great day out here today. There were many more attractions added since my last visit

What a great day out! The monkeys are worth a visit look out for the baby on mums back! The kids loved every minute

We had a fantastic time at the safari park yesterday...the bird of prey show was fab!

Newsletter Signup

Sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay up to date with latest park news, updates on the animals and events.

Shooter Files by f.d. walker

Street Photography Tips, Interaction, Travel, Guides

Apr 24 2017

City Street Guides by f.d. walker: A Street Photography Guide to Moscow, Russia

*A series of guides on shooting Street Photography in cities around the world. Find the best spots to shoot, things to capture, street walks, street tips, safety concerns, and more for cities around the world. I have personally researched, explored and shot Street Photography in every city that I create a guide for. So you can be ready to capture the streets as soon as you step outside with your camera!

At over 12 million people, Moscow is the largest city in Russia and second largest in Europe by population ( Istanbul is #1). An urban, cosmopolitan metropolis with more than enough glitz and glam to cater to the elite, but without losing its fair share of Soviet era roughness around the edges. It can be fast paced, brash, busy, and trendy like other big cities, but it has its blend of West meets Russia atmosphere and beauty that provides plenty of unique interest. The Red Square is as famous as it gets, but there’s so much more to this city, including the most beautiful subway system you’ve ever seen. It would take years to capture all of Moscow, but that means you have an endless amount of areas to discover.

So here’s a Street Photography guide so you can be ready to capture all that Moscow has to offer before you even arrive!

• Patriarch’s Pond
• Old Arbat Street
• Maroseyka Street
• Tverskoy Boulevard

Top 5 Street Spots:

1. red square.

The Red Square is the most famous square in not just Russia, but all of Eastern Europe. The name actually doesn’t come from the color of the bricks or communism, but from the name in Russian, Krásnaya, once meaning “beautiful” before its meaning changed to “red.” This large plaza is what you see on the cover of guide books and magazines for Moscow, with St. Basil’s Cathedral being the center piece next to Lenin’s Mausoleum surrounded by the Kremlin Wall. Of course, the Red Square attracts hordes of tourist due to the main attractions, but all that activity around an interesting atmosphere does provide street photo opportunities. It’s also the central square connecting to the city’s major streets, providing a good starting point to explore outward.

You’ll also find the popular pedestrian only Nikolskaya Street connecting the Red Square to Lubyanka Square. This line of expensive shops includes plenty of activity, while also leading you to another popular square. Filled with history rivaling any city, the Red Square and surrounding areas are the heart and soul of Russia.

2. Patriarch’s Ponds

Patriarch’s Ponds is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Moscow. Despite the name being plural, there’s only one large pond, but it’s worth a visit with your camera. It’s a popular spot for locals and expats to come relax or take a stroll around the pond. You get an interesting mix of young and old too, from young love to “babushkas” feeding pigeons. It’s a very peaceful park atmosphere in one of the nicer areas within the city center, while bringing enough activity for street photography. 

The pond is shallow and in the winter becomes a popular spot for ice-skating too. The area is also well-known for the location in the famous Russian novel, The Master and Margarita. 

3. Old Arbat (Stary Arbat)

Old Arbat is the most famous pedestrian street in Moscow, and dating back to the 15th century, also one of its oldest. Originally, it was an area of trade, but soon became the most prestigious residential area in Moscow. During the 18th century, Arbat started attracting the city’s scholars and artists, including Alexander Pushkin. Cafes lined the streets and impressive homes filled the neighborhood. Since then, New Arbat street was created as a highway in the area, while Old Arbat was paved for a 1km pedestrian only walkway.

Due to the historic buildings, famous artists that lived here, and the bohemian atmosphere, Old Arbat has become a big attraction for tourists today. Now, there’s a mix of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, street performers, street merchants and other attractions for visitors, and some locals, to come enjoy. It can get really busy here and there’s usually something interesting going on so it’s a good street to come walk with your camera for guaranteed life.

4. Gorky Park

One of the most famous places in Moscow is Gorky Park. The official name is Maxim Gorky’s Central Park of Culture & Leisure, which gives you an idea of what goes on here. When built, it was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union. Divided into two parts, it stretches along Moscow River. One end contains fair rides, foods stands, tennis courts, a sports club, a lake for boat rides, and more. This end brings more active life due to its number of attractions, while the other end is more relaxed, where you’ll find gardens, trees, older buildings, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Gorky Park attracts mostly locals so it’s a good spot to capture the non-tourist side of Moscow life. Muscovites come here to escape the city and unwind in a picturesque setting. The park remains alive outside of the warmer months too, especially when the lake turns into the city’s largest outdoor skating rink. I’d recommend taking the metro out here to spend at least half a day exploring the massive park’s life with your camera.

5. Maroseyka Street

Maroseyka Street is a popular area not too far from the Red Square. The long, winding street turns into Pokrovka and is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and places to stay. It’s actually where I like to stay when I’m in Moscow due to its location and solid street photography opportunities itself. You have Kitay-gorod station near and if you keep walking southwest, you’ll get to the Red Square. But if you walk northwest, as it changes to Pokrovka, you can find a long street of activity for photography with its own interesting atmosphere.

6. Tverskoy Boulevard

Tverskoy Boulevard is the oldest and longest boulevard in Moscow, beginning at the end of Nikitsky Boulevard, and finishing at Pushkin Square, a spot to come for activity itself. The boulevard is made up of two avenues, with pedestrian walkways in-between. You’ll find grass, shrubbery, trees, benches and more walking it’s almost kilometer length. Many people come here to enjoy some relaxation, walk their dog, or just to use it to walk wherever they’re going. Its center location also provides a nice place to walk with your camera near plenty of other spots you’ll want to check out anyway.

Sample Street Walk:

For a full day of Street Photography, covering some of the best spots, you can follow this sample street walk for Moscow:

• Start your morning walking around the Red Square (1), while exploring the surrounding area, including Nikolskaya Street
• Then walk northwest to Patriarch’s Ponds (2) and slowly walk the pond and surrounding area with your camera
• Next, walk east to the Pushkin Monument and stroll down Tverskoy Boulevard (6)
• Once Tverskoy Boulevard (6) ends, it will turn into Nikitsky Boulevard. Follow this down until you get to the start of Old Arbat Street (3), across from Arbatskaya station
• After you’re done walking down Old Arbat Street (3) for more street photography, spend some time checking out Moscow’s beautiful metro stations
• To finish off the day with more street photography, get off the metro near Red Square (1) again, Maroseyka Street (5) or wherever you’re staying for the night.

3 Things I’ll Remember about Shooting in Moscow:

1. museum metro.

The Moscow metro system was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union and today includes 203 stations across 340km of routes. The elaborate system has some of the deepest stations in the world too, with escalators that seem to go on forever. None of this is what makes it so special, though. Many of its stations feel like stepping inside a museum, making it without a doubt the most interesting and beautiful metro system I’ve been in.

When built, Stalin wanted to make the metro stations “palaces for the people” with marble, chandeliers, and grand architecture. The best part is the variety of architecture and styles used, making many of the stations a completely different experience visually. You could easily spend a whole day traveling the stations and there are even tours available for people who wish to do just that. My advice, though, would be just to buy a ticket and hop on and off at different stations, while exploring different lines. The museum-like surrounding mixed with the crowds of characters can make for a great photography experience.

Since there are so many stations, here are some of my favorites to check out:

• Novoslobodskaya
• Mayakovskaya
• Elektrozavodskaya
• Komsomolskaya
• Ploschad Revolyutsii
• Dostoyevskaya
• Prospekt Mira

2. Moscow is Big

It’s no secret that Moscow is a big city, but it can feel even bigger with how spread out much of it is. This is especially true if you compare it to cities outside of Asia. If I compared it to cities in Europe, I’d probably say only Istanbul would warrant more time to really discover the depths of this city. Most only explore around the Red Square and surrounding area, but that is such a small part of the city. Although, that central area does give you plenty to see on its own.

Fortunately, I had a good friend living in the city to show me around, but it opened up my eyes even more to how much there is to discover in Moscow. It’s a big city with a variety of atmosphere that can take you from “east” to “west” and trendy to rugged depending on where you go. I’d imagine you’d have to live here a while to really know the city.

3. Cosmopolitan Mix of East meets West

Modern skyscrapers mixed with amazing architecture, a world-class metro system with museum-like beauty, trendy fashion and chic clubs, Moscow is a rich mix of Russian culture and history in a more western cosmopolitan package. There is a push to keep the Russian culture, while also pushing forward with a modern metropolis the whole world will envy. This comes with an impressive skyline, that continues to grow, and endless modernities, but with soviet nostalgia and atmosphere mixed in for good measure.

Mixed in with this grand western cosmopolitan atmosphere, is a strong national pride in Russia. This includes their famous leader, Vladimir Putin. Maybe no other place will you see a country’s leader more often. All over, from the pricey tourist shops to the underground walkway stalls, you’ll find goods with Putin’s likeness covering them. From t-shirts to magnets to Matryoshka dolls. There’s a strong national pride that can be seen around the city, which also extends to their leader. Moscow is many things. It’s East meets West, modernizations meets Soviet era, and a whole lot more.

What To Do For a Street Photography Break?:

Eat at a stolovaya.

Stolovayas are Russian cafeterias that became popular in the Soviet days. You grab a tray and walk down the line of freshly prepared local dishes, and select whatever you want from the chefs. They’re usually inexpensive and a much better value than restaurants, while giving you the opportunity to try from a wide selection of everyday Russian food. They’re also very tasty. I always include some borsch on my tray and go from there. The places themselves are all over Moscow and usually come with Soviet-era aesthetics to complete the experience.

Street Safety Score: 7

*As always, no place is completely safe! So when I talk about safety, I’m speaking in general comparison to other places. Always take precaution, be smart, observe your surroundings and trust your instincts anywhere you go!

Being the 2nd largest city in Europe with over 12 million people, you’re going to have your dangerous areas, but for the most part, it feels safe walking around. Russia is statistically higher in crime compared to most of Europe, but this generally doesn’t apply to tourists and visitors. Around the Red Square and surrounding city center, you should feel completely safe walking around. Pick pocketing can happen, but no more than other touristic places. I always explore Moscow freely without coming across too much to worry about. It’s a spread out city, though, so of course it matters where you are. Just use basic street smarts, know where you are and Moscow shouldn’t give you a problem. 

People’s Reaction Score: 7

Moscow is fast paced, big city life, which usually means people aren’t too concerned with you, or your camera. I don’t find people notice or pay much attention to me when I’m out taking photos in Moscow. For the most part, people just go about their day. You shouldn’t get too many looks or concern. But it can depend on the area you are in. The more you stick out, the more you might get noticed with suspicions. I’ve never had any problems in Moscow, or Russia, but just be careful who you’re taking a photo of if you get out of the city center. Other than that, it’s about average for reactions. 

Street Tips:

Learn the alphabet .

Much of Moscow, including the metro system, doesn’t use english. The Russian alphabet uses letters from the Cyrillic script, which if you aren’t familiar with it and don’t know the sounds, can be hard to decipher the words. This is most important for street names and metro stops when trying to get around. It can save confusion and make it easier getting around if you learn the basic alphabet. At the very least then, you can sound out the words to see which are similar in the english conversion, which can help matching them to maps. When out shooting street photography, getting around is as important as anything. So save yourself some time and frustration by learning the Russian Alphabet.

Use the metro

While Saint-Petersburg feels very walkable for a city its size, Moscow can feel very spread out, even for its bigger size. Outside of the Red Square area, you can have plenty of walking before getting anywhere very interesting, so you’ll need to take the metro a lot if you really want to explore the city. Maps are deceiving here too, it will always be further than it looks.

Another reason it’s less walkable than Saint-Petersburg is its completely different set-up. Moscow’s streets are mostly contstructed in rings with narrow, winding streets in-between. This is common with medieval city cities that used to be confined by walls, but you usually don’t have it in a city this massive. Saint-Petersburg has a more grid-like pattern that also uses the canals to help you know your way around. When it comes to navigating on foot in Moscow, it can be more difficult, so bring a map and take the metro when needed. It’s why Moscow’s metro carries more passengers per day than the London and Paris subways combined.

Explore other areas if you have time

Moscow is really big. While most people stay around the Red Square within the Boulevard Ring, there’s so much more to the city. I covered some other spots outside of this circle, but if you really want to see the city, you’ll need time. If you do have time, some other areas I’d check out first are Zamoskvarechye, along some of the south and western Moscow.

Inspiration:

For some more inspiration, you can look through the Street Photography of Moscow photographer Artem Zhitenev  and check out 33 of my photos taken in Moscow .

Conclusion:

Moscow’s name brings a certain mystique, but once you’re there it might bring a different atmosphere than you expect. It’s big and sprawling, but beautiful in many ways. It can feel like a European capital on a grand scale, but you can definitely find its Russian side in there.

The urban sprawl of Moscow can be intimidating, but give it enough time and you’ll be rewarded with plenty to discover. All with the world’s best metro system to take you around.

I hope this guide can help you start to experience some of what Moscow contains. So grab your camera and capture all that Moscow has to offer for Street Photography!

If you still have any questions about shooting in Moscow, feel free to comment below or email me!

(I want to make these guides as valuable as possible for all of you so add any ideas on improvements, including addition requests, in the comment section!)

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(A New Guide Posted Every Other Wednesday)

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