THEIR school zoo might include iguanas, mongooses and potoroos – but students at Bede’s aren’t monkeying around.

Pupils are experiencing life as a zookeeper at the school’s zoological society and animal management BTEC.

The zoo was started by housemaster Paul Juniper, 39, who teaches the animal management course.

He explained: “I used to run a zoo up in the north of England, and then I ran zoological societies at the colleges I worked with so it was a logical step to start building a collection at Bede’s.

“I noticed that there was a big area of land so I put down a business proposal to start a BTEC course in animal management.”

The zoo’s early acquisitions include yellow mongooses and skunks, and they now have more than 500 animals which their students learn to care for.

Paul added: “Our pair of skunks have since departed for another zoo. Smelly skunks and schoolchildren don’t mix!”

Their most popular animal, Paul thinks, are the kinkajous – medium size mammals from Central and South America.

He said: “They’re cute, but actually quite vicious. They have prehensile tails, very sharp teeth and claws and they’re very strong. But they’ll do anything for a banana.”

Paul explained that the students take most of the responsibility of caring for and feeding the animals, adding: “They do it all. We’re just here to make sure they don’t get their fingers bitten or mix up the wrong feed!”

Antony Hepworth-Taylor is the zoo’s full-time technician, but during school holidays Paul cares for the collection.

He said: “On Christmas day, Easter, New Year, I’m there with the animals. Coming from a zoo background, I’m used to doing it every day of the year.

“Other people might not enjoy that, but I think being with the animals is a treat.”

They currently have 20 animal management BTEC students, and 60 more who attend the activities afternoons.

Joseph Dilnot, 18, has been part of the zoological society since it began, and now wants to study animal behaviour or conservation at university.

He said: “When I joined the school I had no idea about it, but I have been into animals my whole life so when I saw it on the activities sheet I gave it a go.

“I’ve been with it since day one, and it’s gone from a few small animals to our collection now, and I’ve seen it become a whole course that has sent people to university.

“I’m probably going to go on and do either an animal behaviour degree or a wildlife degree, but my main interest is doing what I can to make a difference.”

Joseph isn’t the only pupil inspired to work with animals. One ex-student now works as a rhino keeper at Port Lympe Zoo in Kent, and others are studying veterinary nursing, biology, animal behaviour and more.

And students can get a taste of conservation work, as some of the animals in their zoo are part of captive breeding programmes.

Paul and his colleague Peter Jones are both licensed dormice monitors, and are permitted to handle wild dormice to keep track of population numbers.

The school is also one of ten places in the UK to breed dormice for release into the wild.

Paul said: “We take students to monitor the dormice, and because we have a license to handle them the students can too, under our supervision. It’s quite a niche subject, but the students are really interested.”