Staff at West Midland Safari Park are celebrating, following winning two national, prestigious awards recognising excellence within their industry for both ‘education’ and ‘behaviour and welfare’.

Both awards were presented to representatives from the Park at the annual BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums) Awards on 17 June 2022, which celebrates the hard work and dedication of staff in zoos, safari parks and wildlife attractions, across Britain and Ireland.

The first win was a ‘Gold Award,’ for the Park’s Research and Conservation Officer, Katie McDonald, who entered her submission in the ‘behaviour and welfare’ category, for research into monitoring the behaviour of the Park’s Humboldt penguin colony.

The Park’s Education Team won a ‘Bronze Award’, following a 2000-word submission from Education Manager, Nicola Anslow, which detailed the building of their Safari Academy and the impact it has had on delivering both conservation education to schools, and accredited animal care courses to further education students, over the past five years.

Head of Wildlife, Angela Potter, said,

“We are delighted to have received two awards at this year’s BIAZA awards. We are really proud of the entries submitted by Katie and Nicola, as the awards highlight the vital work carried out by all BIAZA’s member zoos and aquariums, so it is fantastic to receive this well-deserved recognition for the work we carry out at West Midland Safari Park.”

She continued,

“Katie and our team have spent several years researching and refining their methods of data collection, which concentrates on monitoring the behaviour and substrate use of our colony of penguins. They developed an interactive data collection tool, which reports results in real time to animal managers, which in turn, aids evidence-based husbandry decisions. Ultimately, this aids our keepers in being able to provide the very best care for their animals.

“The Gold Award from BIAZA is the highest accolade for each category, so for Katie and our team to achieve this, is a true testament to their dedication and hard work.”

The award for the Education Team is the second national award they have won recently, following success at the School Travel Awards in May, winning Best Wildlife Attraction.

The BIAZA award submission focussed on how the Safari Academy, built in 2017, enabled the Park to provide an engaging, immersive education facility, offering opportunities for schools, further education, and wider audiences to learn about conservation and nature.

Further information about West Midland Safari Park is available from the Park’s website: www.wmsp.co.uk or by telephone 01299 402114. Find out more on the Safari Park’s official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WestMidSafari.