100-year-old animal lover treated to visit Drusillas Park Brighton News

Helped by park keepers, the centenary was introduced to Nwela, a hand-raised serval cat who came to the zoo in April.

Betty Morris with Drusillas serval Nwela

Head babysitter Gemma Romanis led Nwela through a practiced routine using a training stick, food, and a clicker, to get her near Betty’s wheelchair.

Gemma said: “The whole Drusillas team loves Betty very much, it’s really hard not to be.

“We love updating her on her favorite big cats when she visits, and she has spent so much time over the years getting to know every serval we’ve had.

Betty Morris and Drusillas Chief Zookeeper Gemma Romanis

“Knowing how important this would be to Betty, I wanted to make sure the experience was as successful as possible, and it also gave Nwela and I the opportunity to bond, as she was missing the relationship she was having. she had with her previous guardians.

“I am immensely proud of his performance and it is an honor to be able to work with such an incredible animal.”

Betty has supported the zoo’s serval cats for many years through adoption and has an annual park membership so she can visit her favorite animals as often as possible.

During her visit, Betty was given a large personal plaque, which will be hung outside the serval enclosure, to mark her relationship with the cats.

Betty said: “This has always been on my bucket list! It was wonderful. Nwela walked over to the wheelchair, and it was such a privilege.

“I’ve had a soft spot for servals since Drusillas got them.” It means a lot to me ”

Betty celebrated her 100th birthday at Drusillas in May and was treated to close encounters with their resident meerkats, lemurs and armadillos.

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