A CHESTER Zoo worker has written a book about his experiences as a seasonal employee – with the visitor attraction benefiting from the proceeds.

Paul Woods, from Handbridge, penned 'Boris, Boats and Me' based on the last three years working as a guest experience assistant at the zoo.

After a successful career as a British Council officer, which took him to 117 countries around the world over the course of 37 years, Paul was looking for a satisfying and rewarding 'retirement job' outdoors.

He says helping to create memorable experiences for some of the two million plus visitors to the zoo each year and leaving behind the stresses and strains of a semi-diplomatic lifestyle was "both challenging and rewarding".

The book opens with a chapter on the devastating fire in the zoo's Monsoon Forest in 2018 and ends with the impact of the current coronavirus pandemic.

In between are chapters covering the history and rationale of the zoo, his working experiences, animal escapes and human invasions, visitor attractions such as the wildlife wood and boats, TV shows including Our Zoo and Secret Life of the Zoo, and the story of Boris the chimp who has lived at the zoo for over half a century.

Paul said: "The zoo is a really great place to work. It's an amazing work environment, especially on warm summer days. You're surrounded by literally hundreds of animals, encouraged to be proactive in interacting with the guests, and teamed up with colleagues who are a pleasure to work with.

"You get free access to the zoo, a free pass for friends/family for each month you work, and it's a great job for improving confidence and communication skills as well as for keeping fit – sometimes you can walk up to 20,000 or more steps a day."

Boris, Boats and Me is available from Amazon.co.uk.

All royalties from sales of the book will go to the zoo, which is dependent on visitors for 97% of its income and currently has operating expenses of around £450,000 per month.