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Find out from Liz Bellward, the only woman doing the job at Dreamworld – Gold Coast
SO WHAT EXACTLY DOES A TIGER HANDLER DO?
We get to work up close and personal with the tigers, hanging out with them and developing relationships. But it’s not always so glamorous. There’s a lot of picking up poo, cutting up meat, cleaning cages and mowing lawns.
WHAT ARE TIGERS REALLY LIKE?
Tigers are solitary animals, so when multiple adult tigers get together, they naturally want to fight. It’s our job as handlers to walk between them when they’re out of their enclosures to make sure they don’t fight with one another. That’s why building relationships with them is so important because if they’re eyeing each other up for a fight, we tell them to knock it off straight away.
WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE THIS AS A CAREER?
I had a background in finance, but when I hit 30, I just hit a point where I wanted to do something else. I’d always adored animals. I knew I didn’t want to be a zookeeper with a protective fence between me and the animals, so when I did some exploring and found out how endangered the big cats are, I moved in that direction.
HOW ENDANGERED ARE TIGERS?
A century ago there were an estimated 100,000 tigers in the wild. Today, the number is somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000. We’ve wiped out 96,000 of them in 100 years through habitat destruction and poaching.
SO NOW YOU’RE WORKING AT DREAMWORLD?
I really wanted to work at a place that gives something back, which Dreamworld does. A percentage of the profits from the walks and photos goes straight to a conservation fund. I’m getting to help save tigers while also working with them in the wild. Every day I get to hang out with a 200kg big cat that could wipe me out in a heartbeat. But I love it.
EVER BEEN HURT?
Oh yes. All the handlers have had bites and scratches. If you play with big animals with claws and teeth, it’s bound to happen. I did have a tiger accidentally bite me while I was hand feeding it. Luckily, Sultan was being gentle and felt my thumb straight away, so he didn’t bite if off. But I had a big egg on my thumb afterwards.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JOB?
Seeing people’s responses to the tigers. When the tigers are on the island they scratch trees and roll around on the grass. When visitors join us on walks, they see tigers really being tigers. They also pet them and that really stirs emotions in people. When you’re that close, you can really see just how magnificent these creatures really are.
Tiger Island, Dreamworld Parkway, Coomera, tel: +61 (0)7 5588 1111
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