Tia
Higman

Why did you choose to study at NTU?

I chose to study at NTU after I discovered a sense of community and belonging at one of the open days I came to. I met so many welcoming people and I felt at home - it certainly helped that there was an animal unit on site! NTU was recommended to me as it was well known for having a really good Zoo Biology course with modules that I was extremely interested in learning about.

What did you learn – both inside and outside of lectures?

The wide variety of modules throughout the course covered a broad range of topics from anatomy and physiology, nutrition, genetics and behaviour, to conservation, zoo legislation, training and research. I chose to have a placement year where I worked at Paignton Zoo which helped me learn and acquire skills that I would not develop in lectures. There are endless opportunities that this course can provide, it is not just limited to working in zoos. Each module can inspire students to work towards a career in whatever interests them, for example, students can pursue careers into nutrition, conservation research both in-situ and ex-situ, animal trainers, genetics researchers and technicians. The options are endless, especially with industry-expert lecturers who have connections in many industries.

What have you been up to since graduating?

Since I graduated in 2022, I have been working at the Brackenhurst Animal Unit as an Animal Technician. I have been very lucky to acquire a job straight out of university, starting the job before my graduation ceremony had even taken place. The technicians knew my face and my passion for animals which certainly helped. I still aim to work in a zoo in the future, but I really enjoy educating and inspiring others to care for animals.

What does your current day involve?

My role consists of looking after the animals on a day-to-day basis (feeding, husbandry, health checks etc), maintaining equipment for practicals, and assisting with some of the college and university level practicals and volunteer sessions. I also train some of the animals if I have time to spare. It has been an interesting experience being on the other side of the room as a staff member instead of a student perspective!

What attracted you to this field?

Growing up with animals and visiting zoological collections has inspired an ever-growing passion for animal care. I really enjoy having the opportunity to work with a diverse range of animals, especially ones that you do not see every day. My goal is to improve captive animal welfare and inspire and educate others to care for animals.

What have been the highlights and biggest challenges of your career so far?

The highlights of my career have been working with the animals and getting to know their unique personalities, acquiring new species and researching their requirements and how we can provide the best welfare, training the goats (especially after basing my dissertation on them) and earning their trust, and getting to know students and helping them learn and develop skills for their future career.

Some slight challenges of my career have been maximising animal enrichment with budget restrictions and implementing ideas for improving animal welfare alongside the accessibility of student learning and requirements. It has also been challenging with forming bonds and attachments to the animals in the collection that have a shorter lifespan.

What are your plans for the future?

I aim to work in a zoological collection some time in the near future as I really enjoy caring for the more exotic and unusual species that are less heard of. Educating members of the public who may not know or understand the animals they visit is extremely important in raising awareness of the challenges that their wild counterparts face in-situ, whilst encouraging people to care more for animals and potentially inspire the next generation of zookeepers.

If you had a time machine, what would you go back and tell yourself at NTU?

I would tell myself to take every opportunity I came across with both hands and make more connections with my peers and professionals within the industry. Even looking into completing short courses or researching topics that interest me might help create more opportunities and set me apart from the many other students trying to enter the same career.

Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share with our student and alumni community?

I really enjoyed my time as a student at NTU; learning a variety of topics that will assist me in the future, exploring exciting opportunities (e.g. student mentoring, student ambassador etc) and building connections with likeminded people. Now that I work for NTU, I aspire to help students with this exciting chapter of their lives and help them progress and achieve their goals like I received whilst I was in their position.