Helen Clarke Bennett

Team Leader- African Plains

Wendy and Bossou the chimps

24 Years

How long have you been working in Dublin Zoo?
24 years full time but worked here part time during school years from age of 13 when I began driving pony trap and collecting money in the cash box at Pets’ Corner.

What kind of animals do you take care of?
I take care of a wide variety of species from Africa, eg. Ground hornbills, giraffe, hunting dogs, lions, chimps, hippo, rhino, zebra, tortoises.

Which are your favourite animals in the Zoo?
No particular favourite species but some particular animals, Wendy and Bossou the chimps, the two male rhinos Sam and Chaka, Kimba the young female bongo and the hand-reared giraffe Sandsteen.

Do you have any pets at home?
2 dogs a cat and 3 horses.

What do you love most about your job?
The diversity of any given day, new visitors, new happenings and seeing the careful planning such as the putting together of our herd of rhino in 2004 that eventually led to the birth of a calf in 2008.

What’s the most difficult thing about your work?
When an animal you've worked with dies

When you’re not working in the zoo, what other hobbies or interests do you have?
Dog walking, horse riding, reading, swimming and general home life!