The Great Ape Consultancy is dedicated to improving the lives of great apes in human care in zoos, wildlife parks and sanctuaries all over the world, through encouraging positive welfare changes.
We are committed to supporting staff and enhancing keeper training and capacity building within organisations to facilitate long term change.
Lorraine has been working in the zoological industry for 14 years up to a senior level, ten years of that time spent directly working with great apes at several different facilities in the UK, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. She has consulted on great ape facility design, husbandry, health and safety, and staff training.
She has extensive experience with managing all four great apes in varying social groupings and management systems including bachelor groups, breeding groups and fission-fusion management. She has managed several births, geriatric animals and end of life care.
She has supervised introductions, animal transfers and animal training, as well as gained extensive knowledge of great ape nutrition and enrichment needs to maximise animal health and welfare. She holds a Bsc in Wildlife Conservation and an Fd in Zoology, along with certificates in animal management, animal welfare and behaviour, as well as in team management.
Lorraine brings her positive and proactive attitude to everything she works towards and is a pleasure to work with. Along with her extensive experience working with captive primates, specifically with the great apes, she also has a vast range of experience work with conservation NGO's around the world. Lorraine is a pleasure to work with and a fantastic public speaker for ape welfare and conservation causes. It would be fantastic to work with you again in the future.
I worked with Lainy for a few years at Twycross Zoo, a UK collection that houses all 4 great ape species. During this time she worked hard to improve the husbandry and care for them, but in particular she worked to improve their diets and enhance the positive reinforcement training program.
If it’s great ape advice you need then look no further! I first met Lainy when she was working with Gorillas in New Zealand and have had the privilege to continue our friendship over the years that followed as she moved around the world continuing to develop her great ape passion. She is a very kind hearted person and has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things great ape. In 2016 after many years working primates I had the opportunity to expand my primate experience into the great ape world and since then Lainy has always been there willing to offer me advice as I have needed it. Lainy certainly gets a big pant hoot from me!
