APPRENTICES at a Chipping Sodbury based home provider replaced their usual clientèle with big cats as they spent a week helping to build a cheetah enclosure at a popular zoological attraction.


Nine apprentices from Merlin spent a week volunteering at Bristol Zoological Society’s Wild Place Project in Almondsbury, helping finish a cheetah enclosure in time for the arrival of the big cats in April.


The group, aged between 18 and 31-years old volunteered from March 23 to 27 as part of the Brathay Apprenticeship Challenge, which challenges teams of apprentices from companies across the country to become apprentice team of the year.


The Merlin team contacted the zoo earlier in the year, offering their services to volunteer on a community project.


Beth Tanner, 22, an apprentice painter and decorator at Merlin, said: “We’ve all really enjoyed working at the Wild Place this week. We did lots of things like laying the stone walkways, and making sure the cheetah’s had somewhere private in case they want to get romantic, which was a bit embarrassing.


“Now it’s finished we can’t wait to go back and visit the cheetahs in the enclosure that we’ve helped build.”


As well as helping finish the cheetah enclosure the apprentices also made improvements to the children’s play area.


Bristol Zoo Gardens development assistant, Abi Bottomley, said: “At the Wild Place Project we are passionate about the conservation of central African cheetah and although their numbers are declining fast in the wild, through education and looking after a population of cheetah in human care, we are working towards safeguarding the future of this species.


“The Merlin apprentices couldn’t have come at a better time and have been invaluable in helping us in the final push to put the finishing touches to the new cheetah enclosure as well as improving other areas of the site.”