A ZOOKEEPER has cycled the equivalent of a third of the distance to the moon to look after rhinos.
Senior rhino keeper Mark Cleave has cycled to work at Chester Zoo from his Broughton home in Flintshire every day for the last 17 years.
The feat amounts to 72,726 miles, the same distance as three times around the world, or nearly a third of the way to the moon.
Mark said: “I’ve ridden into work every single day for the last 17 years. Come rain, sleet, wind, snow, hail, fog or shine, I haven’t missed a day, nor used any other means of transport.”
While the thought of getting his bike out of the shed and hitting the road at 6.25am every morning may be daunting to most, the rewards were “well worth it”, added Mark.
“I cycle 93 miles a week but it’s no problem at all. In truth, I’d cycle a heck of a lot further to work with black rhinos. They’re just incredible animals and it’s an absolute privilege to work with them day in, day out,” he said.
“We run a hugely successful breeding programme at Chester Zoo, which I’m delighted to be involved with.
“And with the species now massively threatened from poaching in the wild, I’m proud to be able to say that we’ve had several baby black rhinos born in my time here, providing a vital safety-net should wild populations become extinct.”