HERE at the Safari Zoo we had a very special little visitor with a very special purpose come to see us on Friday – 14-week-old springer spaniel Indy.

Little Indy is in training to become the first ever bushmeat detection dog for Dogs4wildlife.

Indy is living with, and being trained by, Andy of Berettavale Detection Dogs and is in the early stages of her training.

Andy expects her to graduate to a fully-qualified detection dog when she is about 18-months-old.

The purpose of this visit was to get Indy used to the sights and smells of animals which she will be around once she has graduated her training.

Indy will be working for the Zambezi Elephant Fund at a busy checkpoint in and out of one of the reserves, to detect the illegal transportation of bushmeat.

Indy will be the first Bushmeat Detection Dog provided by Dogs4Wildlife who provide quality, highly trained dogs and specialised ranger training, for the development of anti-poaching canine units to protect endangered wildlife.

Dogs4Wildlife currently has nine dogs operational at different reserves and conservancies across four African countries, with a further two here in the UK fully-trained and ready to be deployed to different areas of South Africa once restrictions are lifted.

Indy will be making future visits to us here at Safari Zoo as her training progresses; we are thrilled to be able to help such an important purpose!

You might be lucky enough to see her when she is on one of her visits!

Elsewhere this week, we have celebrated our little lemur friends in the lead up to World Lemur Day with some special members events!

Here at the Safari Zoo we house four different species of lemur: endangered ring tail; white fronted brown; critically-endangered red ruffed; and critically-endangered black and white ruffed.

All of whom are endemic to the unique island of Madagascar.