Unemployed besiege British zoo

2009-03-01 22:35

London - About 3 000 people, including laid-off executives and company bosses, travelled from across recession-hit Britain to apply for 150 summer jobs at a zoo, a spokesperson said on Sunday.

Twycross Zoo was overwhelmed by job hunters, who caused an 8km traffic jam when they all arrived for Saturday's recruitment day, Kim Riley said.

The zoo in Atherstone, central England advertised for temporary cleaners, cooks and park rangers.

It's home to lions, elephants and dozens of primates.

Riley said people who had previously held well-paid skilled jobs were among those who registered interest in the posts. The jobs are usually filled by college students.

"It's been overwhelming, but understandable when you turn on the television and see that hundreds of jobs are being lost every day," she said.

Successful applicants will work from late March to September for basic wages, dealing with an expected upsurge in visitors as Britons chose to holiday at home as a result of the economic downturn.

The zoo attracts about half a million visitors per year.

"These are roles usually taken by students. You don't expect to see heads of households, or company directors, coming to apply, but we saw all kinds of people here," Riley said.

Riley said applicants came from as far away as London and Wales to fill out application forms.

"It's now going to be a huge task for our human resources department, as we need people to start work in under a month," she said.

- AP