Angela Potter
Nearly 30 years ago, Angela Potter went for a day’s work experience at West Midlands Safari Park and has never left.
Since then, Angela has achieved a double distinction on a City & Guilds Zoo Animal Management course; a Certificate in Natural Sciences from the Open University; a BSc degree and, in 2007, was top of the class with her Foundation Degree in Zoo Resource Management.
Her nominator and boss at the Park, Bob Lawrence, said, “She not only works at the park but lives here too… Despite holding down a (very) full-time job and working at least an average 60-hour week, all of Angela’s learning achievements have been undertaken in her spare time in between bringing up her young daughter and hand-rearing literally dozens of animals around the clock – everything from African hunting dogs, lions, tigers, deer and antelope down to monkeys and wallabies.”
Angela first approached the Park because, despite her distinguished agricultural qualifications, no farmer would employ her – “because she was a girl”.
In the last 12 months, she’s been on courses for health and safety, first aid, animal records, and much more – as well as attracting 130 students from 79 worldwide institutions on the work experience programme she runs.
Angela has also tutored many of the safari park’s keepers through their own coursework, with a 100 per cent success rate, and is a Zoo Tutor on the Advanced National Certificate for the Management of Zoo Animals.