Wellington - Paul Horton, team leader
Paul Horton is Team Leader Primates and Carnivores
at Wellington Zoo.
Get to know more of the keepers featured in Wild
Vets by clicking here.
What animals do you work with?
Primates and carnivores
How long have you worked as a keeper?
8 years
Why did you become a keeper?
Wanted to work with animals and what's cooler than wild
animals?
Where in the world have you worked as a keeper and what
animals did you work with?
Spent some time in Alice Springs (central Australia) at the desert
park for work experience. Learnt a lot about many central Australia
species. Work experience in Vietnam and Cambodia with Free the
Bears, working with bears funnily enough.
What is you favorite animal?
Probably baboons; love the attitude.
Your funniest/most memorable animal story?
An attempted mugging by an obese macaque at Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
He wanted my pastries, but got nothing.
What animal would you like to have in your
backyard?
Rock wallabies and maybe a bird of prey - they would have to get on
obviously. But the tui and kaka we have are pretty choice
too.
What animal would you most like to see in the
wild?
Easy, wolverine. Also any bear species and any of the tigers.
Which animal do you relate to the most?
Probably a wildebeest. Best not get into why.
What do you love most about your job?
Getting people excited about wildlife.
What would you change about your job?
All cleaning should be done with warm water in the winter.
If you could make one change to help save endangered
animals what would it be?
Everyone imagine what it would be like when it's all gone - stink
aye? What can you change? Heaps, live sustainably.
Advice for future keepers?
Learn lots about animals (including people) and know how to handle
a shovel.
Tell us an animal joke:
I'm lame at remembering jokes, just Google one and imagine it's
from me.
