Welcome to my series of interviews with some wonderful people who work within the natural world, from zoo keepers, to museum curators and everything in between and those that are on the path to working in these positions too. Be inspired for a future where you can combine your love of nature with your day job. I hope you enjoy these interviews, that you can learn something from them and they can inspire you. Welcome to my series of interviews with some wonderful people who work within the natural world, from zoo keepers, to museum curators and everything in between and those that are on the path to working in these positions too. Be inspired for a future where you can combine your love of nature with your day job. I hope you enjoy these interviews, that you can learn something from them and they can inspire you.

Now let me introduce you to Sarah.....

Name

Sarah Bonser-Blake

Age

36

Location

Currently Southwest Wales

What do you do?

I work for an international animal welfare charity as their Animal Welfare Field Manager. The majority of the time I work from home, but we work globally and many of my field projects are in Southeast Asia. As an Animal Welfare Field Manager I have a multi-faceted role where I work on our bank of resources (creating them, getting them translated and ensuring they are easily accessible to our project partners and anyone else who might benefit from them). I also conduct field work with our project partners, for example going out to a project country and working with facilities such as zoos, sanctuaries, aquariums and rescue centres, delivering training workshops on animal welfare concepts. The goal of the charity is to drive forward animal welfare improvements in these facilities using a collaborative and compassionate approach. 

How did you get into it?

It’s a very long and convoluted journey! I worked in zoos and other animal facilities for many years, and actually produced some resources for the charity to utilise when I was doing that. After quitting to travel the world, I saw a position supported by Wild Welfare to work in a zoo in Vietnam to improve animal care and welfare so I took that which gave me a significant insight into many of the elements of my work that I still encounter today. After doing that role, I came back to the UK eager to continue helping with the issues I had seen and eventually applied for a maternity cover position with the charity. This role was primarily in the communications side of things such as writing news updates, managing social media content and producing videos for the charity. My hobbies enabled me to be seen as a suitable candidate as I am a keen writer, photographer and video editor. Wild Welfare eventually offered me a full time role and it’s transitioned into my current activities which are much more animal welfare based (though I still occasionally assist with comms activities).

What made you want to do what you do?

After travelling the world and gaining a much better understanding of the prevalent issues in zoological facilities around the world, I found myself unable to stop thinking about it. The rocking elephants and pacing bears and self-harming macaques I had met in facilities around the world haunted my memories and I wanted to ensure I was doing everything in my power to help them and the people who care for them. During this time I developed an important understanding that many of these problems are not caused through cruelty but rather a lack of opportunity which put me in a unique position to assist this mission in a collaborative and progressive way. 

What does it involve?

Sadly it involves seeing a lot of very awful sights. But we also meet really amazing people in-country who are very keen to learn and make positive changes for the animals under their care based on our advice and training. I’ve been part of a team who developed and launched a comprehensive digital education programme for animal caregivers, to learn more about animal welfare concepts and how to apply them to their care practices. This has been downloaded over 27,000 times and used in over 70 different countries, creating tangible changes for animals and learning opportunities for people. I also attend a lot of conferences, sharing the work of the charity and talking about animal welfare. Being a charity worker, even though I’m not a fundraiser, I’m often thinking about fundraising to ensure we can carry on with our vital work, and being such a small charity, I sometimes help with these aspects too. 

Did you need any qualifications?

I’ve got a BSc (Hons) in Animal Biology, the DMZAA diploma, and a lot of experience working with both animals and people. I think some of what qualifies me for this position aside from my experience is actually my personality. I’m able to regulate my emotions enough to ensure collaborative opportunities continue which is important, and I’m also able to remain (relatively) optimistic despite some of the sad sights we see. Although I’m not multi-lingual, being fluent in another language would also be incredibly useful for this job. I have started learning Vietnamese (though progress is sadly rather slow). 

Any tips for a young person that wants to do what you do?

Don’t be afraid to relish your passion for animals. When I was young I used to get bullied for it but it’s taken me around the world (multiple times) and introduced me to amazing animals and fascinating people. A love of science (particularly biology) will really help but don’t panic if your grades aren’t what you were hoping for. I got an E at A-level biology and still managed to do what I do now. Also remember that charities need lots of people with lots of skills, so even if science isn’t your favourite, you could help with maths or English as a fundraiser or communicator. There’s more opportunities in charities than you might expect. 

What is the best part of what you do?

The people. My team are a really supportive and wonderful bunch who are a pleasure to work with, and those we meet out in the field often become friends. Obviously the animals are also up there as one of the best parts too, but what’s better than meeting them is knowing that we are making a difference for them and the animals of the future. 

What is the worst part of what you do?

Aside from the horrible sights we see, dealing with jetlag is also quite tough!

 

What was the first animal that you fell in love with?

Wolf

What is your favourite place in nature?

I love many of the natural areas where I live in Wales. From the forests to the mountains and the ocean, all of those places make me feel very content and happy. Also anywhere with snow!

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy wildlife photography, reading, a sport called grounded aerial (aka bungee fitness), writing, baking and hiking.

If you were not doing what you do now what else would you love to do?

I might still work in zoos or certainly in the animal field, though if I were to take a complete career swerve I can imagine working in a bookshop. I also used to want to be an author when I was young.

Who inspires you?

David Attenborough (obviously), my colleagues and those who work in other similar organisations, my parents, the characters I read about in books, and the resilient animals I’ve met.

What are your hopes for the future?

I hope that one day, animal welfare information will be easily accessible to all, and that every animal living under human care can thrive rather than just survive. I also hope that I never lose hope because it’s scary when that happens. 

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about?

I have ophidiophobia (I’m very scared of snakes). Phobias are different to fears but they certainly make working in the places I do a very challenging experience! However, I’m a big believer in feeling the fear and doing things anyway, particularly when I’m so passionate about the work that I do.

Where can people find you?

https://wildwelfare.org/

If you work within a job connected to the natural world and would like to get involved with this blog series please pop me an email.