AN ANIMAL lover was thrilled when she was given the opportunity to get up close and personal with her favourite creatures at a wildlife park.
Betty Morris, who is 100-years-old and lives in Brighton, was treated to a specially arranged, close encounter with the big cats at Drusillas Park near Alfriston on Wednesday.
Helped by the park’s keepers, the centenarian was introduced to Nwela, a hand-reared serval cat who came to the zoo in April.
Head Keeper Gemma Romanis led Nwela through a practised routine using a training stick, food, and a clicker, to bring her near to Betty’s wheelchair.
Gemma said: “The whole team at Drusillas are incredibly fond of Betty, it’s really hard not to be.
“We love updating her on her favourite big cats when she visits, and she’s put so much time in over the years to get to know each serval we’ve had.
“Knowing how important this would be for Betty, I wanted to make sure the experience was as successful as possible, and it also gave Nwela and I an opportunity to bond, as she was missing the relationship she had with her previous keepers.
“I am immensely proud of how well she did and it’s an honour to be able to work with such an amazing animal.”
Betty has supported the Zoo’s serval cats for many years by way of adoption and has an annual membership to the park so she can visit her favourite animals as often as possible.
During her visit, Betty was presented with a large personal plaque, which will be hung outside the serval enclosure, to mark the relationship she has with the cats.
Betty said: “This has always been on my bucket list! It was wonderful. Nwela came right up to the side of the wheelchair, and it was such a privilege.
“I’ve had a special soft spot for servals ever since Drusillas got them. This means an awful lot to me”
Betty celebrated her 100th birthday at Drusillas in May and was treated to close encounters with their resident meerkats, lemurs and armadillo.
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