Regular readers and followers of Safari Zoo will recognise the name Indy.

Indy is a Springer Spaniel who has been completing her scent and familiarisation training here at Safari Zoo since 2020 when she was just a few months old.

Indy has a very important future ahead of her as a Bushmeat Detection Dog, posted at Mankwe Wildlife Reserve in South Africa.

This past few weeks, Indy has graduated.

She has had her rabies injections, she has had her blood tests to show she is fit to travel and, she made an emotional (well, we were emotional) last visit to us here at Safari Zoo.

Little Indy will be deployed within the next 4 weeks to take up her post alongside the Rangers at Mankwe, where she will be the first Bushmeat Detection Dog serving alongside human and canine anti-poaching rangers, to secure a future for the many species calling Mankwe home.

We wish this gal all the best, we’ve seen her in action, we know she will be just pawesome.

Over on our Facebook, our Education team have been sharing some recorded book readings (read by some very familiar) in honour of World Book Day, so head on over to hear stories of the Gruffalo, Poo in the Zoo, Some Impolite Penguins and even be inspired by the life of Jane Goodall.

Lastly, we said a sad and untimely goodbye to Red Panda cub Tootles who was born in Summer 2021.

Tootles had fallen quite poorly recently, and even extensive x-rays, testing and physical examination had left our veterinary teams bemused as to what was causing our favourite mischief maker to be so under the weather.

He put up a hell of a fight and we were encouraged for a little time when he seemed to be coming round (he started eating enthusiastically and even gave a little growl), but he sadly slipped away from us.

Whilst we are surrounded daily by amazing animals and we have the opportunity to contribute to some amazing conservation projects and witness the growth of little future protectors like Indy, loss is truly the worst part of life in a Zoo.

Sleep tight little man, you’ll be truly missed.