Elizabeth Mackfall

What inspired you to pursue a career in your field?

When I was very young, I loved spending time with the family pets (dog, cat, rabbits, gerbils) and the highlight of visiting relatives was always getting to meet their animals! As I got older I realised how much I enjoyed been out and about in nature observing wildlife and watching nature documentaries and I knew at that point that I wanted to have a career with animals. I never imagined myself going into an educator role when I was younger (and I still feel like it’s a bit grown up for me) but during my career I realised how misunderstood a lot of the companion animals that we share our lives with are. So when an Instructor Keeper job came up at Askham Bryan College, I thought it would be a great mix of working with animals whilst been able to pass on my knowledge and skills to the next generation of companion animal workers.

What do you enjoy most about your role at the college?

I enjoy the variety of each day, never really knowing what the animals and students may bring to your day. I love the fact that I am able to pass on the knowledge, skills and competencies that I have learnt through my years working at the RSPCA and Cats Protection. I am always learning new things, not only within my own specialism (companion animals) but also in other areas through interactions with colleagues from the Wildlife Park.

What is your favourite animal and why?

I’m not sure I can pick just one favourite animal. I love rats because they have an unfair reputation, they are smart, inquisitive, fascinating to watch and very clean animals. I also love capybara as they just make me laugh.

Areas of Interest and Expertise

My main interest lies with companion animals, I consider my specialism as Canine and Feline but I have a good knowledge of rabbits, rodents and ferrets from my time working at the RSPCA and many training courses/CPD. I love learning new things about all/any animals, I find animal behaviour interesting, particularly around human/animal interactions and how we respond to each other.

What advice would you give to students looking to succeed in your subject area?

My advice is don’t give up, this industry is very competitive so you may get knock backs but if it is something you want to do, work hard, create opportunities for yourself by making yourself known to relevant people and show them how good you are. Alongside a qualification, get as much experience as you can, working with a variety of animals, people and settings, not only will his look good on your CV but it also teaches you how to deal with different situations, builds up resilience, shows you areas that you can improve and gives you confidence in your strengths and abilities.

What book, movie, artist or podcast do you always recommend?

I recommend the books – ‘Catch 22‘ by Joseph Heller or anything by Stephen King.

For films I recommend 80’s classics like ‘Gremlins’, ‘Goonies’, ‘Ghostbusters’, ‘Back to the Future’ series and ‘Never Ending Story’.

If your students had to describe you in three words, what would they say?

Fair, fun and knowledgeable (I hope)!