LAWYER Sally Morris got close to the action at West Midland Safari Park when she became a keeper for the day.

Miss Morris, head of employment law at Worcestershire law firm MFG Solicitors and the Bewdley safari park’s legal adviser, volunteered to become a keeper for the day as part of the firm’s strategy to get to know every aspect of its clients’ business.

“At MFG we think it’s most important to understand what makes our client businesses tick both front and back of shop – and this was part of my learning curve at the Safari Park,” she said.

“It was a fantastic day for me because I love animals – and I learnt a lot about their behaviour and interaction with humans. A day as a keeper would make a good gift as a birthday or Christmas present so it was useful for the park management to find out if the public could cope with the range of keeper activities and what would need to be excluded from any special facility made available to visitors.”

Angela Potter, deputy director of wildlife at the park, said: “Sally did many of the jobs that keepers do with the animals every day and her experience will help us to evaluate whether there is potential for adding this as a facility for the public among the park’s attractions.

“It’s unusual for a lawyer to get that close to the animals but she certainly enjoyed the experience.”

The 35-year-old park contains a four-mile safari with about 600 animals of 30 different species from all over the world.

It has many animals on the endangered list compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

These include the Asian buffalo, Philippine spotted deer, African wild dog, Bengal tiger and the Madagascan jumping rat. It has the largest pride of white lions and largest group of white tigers in the UK.