• Much of the work involves cleaning out the animal cages so that they're kept comfortable and healthy. This usually takes place between 7.00 a.m. and 9.00 a.m., before the Zoo opens - therefore, you need to be capable of early starts!

• Cleaning and feeding the primates

• Washing down the enclosures and refilling the animals' baths

• Feeding some animals (excluding any of the dangerous ones, such as crocodiles and possibly the big cats).

• Behavioural observation, plus on occasion caring for sick animals.

• Preparing the food

• Gardening to maintain the surroundings.

• Helping to build the children's play area.

• For people with an interest in animals, there are opportunities to learn about the different species and what is involved in animal care in a third world country.

• Although you'll help care for and feed some of the animals at the Zoo, your work with any big or dangerous animals will only be undertaken under close supervision.

• You will learn about enrichment programmes and implement projects of your choice ranging from building a hammock for the monkeys to stimulating the environments of the bears through food/smell enrichment techniques to rebuilding whole enclosures for the animals.

Your presence at the zoo will make a real difference to the lives of some of these captive animals.

Any hands on contact with the animals will depend entirely on whether there are young or tame animals at the zoo during your placement and will always be at the discretion of the zoo supervisors. At present there are no young animals at the zoo after the sad loss of a baby giraffe recently. Your work at present will therefore be concentrated behind the scenes in zoo keeper duties, observation, DIY work and enrichment projects.

"There were various 'favourite' bits during the placement, including the bathing and scrubbing of the elephants in the pond at the zoo using a coconut shell. Where else would you be able to do something as amazing as that? However, for me, the hand feeding of the male hippo was the most exciting part - being that close to something usually deemed so dangerous! Also, during our free time we got to release some baby turtles back into the sea - one of those things that makes you feel so good inside - the work they are doing there is so selfless in a country that has so little money - it is very humbling. Overall, the closeness we got to the wildest of animals was something I will treasure forever." Mandy Whitten

Other work duties may include the opportunity to help the local staff with their English so that they can better converse with tourists, visitors and international Zoological experts.

The Zoo also needs to have the general information signs for visitors reproduced in good, accurate English, particularly signs which advise the public on how to treat the animals, warnings against littering (because the animals can choke on litter), feeding the animals, etc.

You may also be asked to make yourself available in the Zoo grounds to answer general questions from Zoo visitors, both local and foreign. These questions could be things like, “Can you tell me a little bit more about the chimpanzee,” “Where does the Orang Utan come from?” etc.

The conditions in which some of the animals are kept are not very good and can be distressing. We have seen many improvements as a result of our volunteers' work, but we hope that in time our volunteers can make even more effective contributions to the animals’ welfare and have a positive influence on the conditions under which some of them live.

It is necessary to be aware of the work ethic in Sri Lanka and even more necessary to have patience with cultural differences. It can take a long time to get anything done in Sri Lanka and the speed of your progress may be halted by such things as language barriers, unexplainable delays and the general slow pace of the other local workers at the zoo. This is all part of the experience so please appreciate what you will come to know as ‘Sri Lanka time’ and work with it the best way you can.

This is an amazing opportunity to understand the behind-the-scenes workings of animal welfare in the uniquely laid back country of Sri Lanka. This is a real experience of working within ‘Sri Lanka time’ and of understanding a culture from the inside. Plus, you have an opportunity to change the lives of these animals. We are continuously working towards better standards of living for all of the animals and progress can be seen with each volunteer who wants to be involved.

"I am having the most incredible time here at the zoo. It is something that is very much changing my thoughts and perception of things."  Henal Chotai