Just thought I'd give you guys a little update.
Yesterday i flew a barn owl for the first time! ^.^
Basically holding it (with one of those gloves, sorry for my lack of bird knowledgable jargon!), telling it where to fly, rewarding it, etc. Her name was Athena and she was very beautiful.
It was just awesome ^.^ Although it's hilarious how dumb barnowls are >.>

I also held a kookaburra for the first time, and weighed him, and got to join in a training session with some amazon birdies, and I got to feed a coati & binturong. Little stuff, but amazing and makes everything worthwhile.

Also, last week, they're training one of the sealions to do 'CPR' - so I got to be kissed by him many times Haha, that was wicked.

I'm absolutely LOVING my time there, the atmosphere, people etc too, and I'm hoping to do some extra days in the summer holidays there - if I have the money for the train fare.

**

Although, unfortunately teres now another volunteer (he used to be there before, but does it on and off so I hadn't met him before). He says he wants to train dolphins and hopefully one day Shamu. Fair enough, right?

..Unfortunately, he's afraid of hard work. He only wants to do the fun stuff and actually WALKS THE OTHER WAY when one of us has to do something not so fun, dumping me with the worse job. It really got on my wick, but he did it in front of one seasonal trainer, and then actually 2 more trainers and the HEAD trainer so I'm hoping they realise. They've got to realise, surely?? Obv we're working for free so it's not a massive deal for them but I'm worried I'll get landed with the shit jobs while his stupid attitude gets him the funner stuff.
Dont get me wrong - I work my hardest. I'm happy to do rubbish jobs; it's all worth it. But that would just be unfair.
Has anyone else had to 'work' with people like this? If so, did the higher-up guys realise it/what happened etc? I'm hoping it won't continue too much (or he'll do his 'on off' thing and go away.)
You can't just volunteer and say "no, i just want the fun stuff" - let alone if he wants to work with freaking CETACEANS. He thinks volunteering at a zoo is hard work he's going to have a freaking laugh if he ever does an internship.

Also, one job he even suggested we pretended to do it but went and had a cigerrete instead. I said to him, 'you can, but I'm not skiving', which made him get all prissy and deny it's skiving. Err, I think not. I actually REALLY WANT my ambitions; I'm not going to do a half-assed job of it, ffs. He whined like a little girl about doing work.

Also, he has an annoying attitude - seems to think he's head trainer or something. And arrogant.
What do you guys think? :/ anyone had experience?