SOMMER

READ ABOUT SOMMER’S EXPERIENCE

I absolutely love this course. No two days are the same, and I enjoy the mix of theory and practical work, it’s really good fun. My practical day is on a Monday, and that’s when I get to do husbandry duties, such as cleaning enclosures, carrying out health checks, and building bonds with the animals.

One of the best parts is working with animals that you don’t usually encounter in everyday life, like Ringtail Lemurs. At Cannington, we follow a traffic light system to stay safe. Each enclosure has three colours: Green, Amber, and Red. When you see Red, it means the animals are not safe to handle—they may be dangerous or venomous—so we need supervision. Green signals that it’s safe to work with the animals if you feel confident, and they are friendly. Amber means you might need a little help.

The college has been very supportive. We have regular 1:1 tutorial sessions where our tutors check in on us, see how we’re getting on, and help if we’re struggling with anything. The staff here are incredibly friendly and helpful, which really makes a difference.

Since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to study at Cannington because I’ve heard about how great the facilities are and the wide variety of animals I can work with. In December, we were fortunate to visit Noah’s Ark, where we had a tour and learned how they care for the animals. It was a really interesting experience.

I truly believe that trips like this help prepare you for a future career in the animal industry. They give us a real insight into the different jobs available and help us decide what path we want to take.