About me
My name is Mairee (said Marie). I have been a Zoo keeper for approx.16 years. I have worked with a wide range of species of animals during that time from Penguins to Big cats, snakes to primates and birds of prey to fruit beetles! For the last ten years I have mainly been working with a variety of bird species ranging from finches and lovebirds up to Hyacinth macaws aswell as hornbills, cranes, and softbills.

My main interest (obsession/ passion...) is with Toucans. There is so little known about them for a start and let’s face it they are quite peculiar to look at. The more you find out about them the more bizarre they get! For example:-

• Did you know that their tail is on a ball & socket joint like our hips are?
• That their beak is made up of a honeycomb centre (a bit like a malteaser?)
• That the ironic part of them advertising Guinness is that they suffer from iron storage disease. They absorb iron too well in their diet and it can kill them?

I am also a Winston Churchill fellow. The WCMT (Winston Churchill Memorial Trust) provide travel fellowships every year. I was one of a 100 people to gain a fellowship in 2006. The fellowship pays for all of your travel and expenses.

Please look round the site to learn more about these fantastic animals and the research we are involved with.

There is a blog section to the site which includes my diary entries from my first South America research trip. It was written for friends & family to follow me as I went round on my trip so for those who don’t know me yes I do have a slightly warped sense of humour, yes I am sane and I am quite accident prone!

There is also a photo section of birds that are at the aviary and also from my trip.