THREE keepers from Dudley Zoo joined delegates from across the world for an international conference on enriching the lives of zoo animals.

Sophie Cousins, senior keeper in the birds section, Jay Haywood, assistant head of ungulates and cats, and Pat Stevens, assistant head of primates, spent a week in Torquay for the conference, which was organised by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquaria.

A total of 230 delegates, from as far afield as China, America, Australia and Russia, gathered for the event, which included lectures, workshops and trips aimed at swapping ideas about how to improve the lives of zoo animals by providing mental and physical stimulation with various devices and toys.

Keepers visited Paignton Zoo and the Living Coast in Torquay as part of a series of activities during the conference.

Sophie Cousins, who has worked at DZG for more than five years, said they had returned full of ideas on how to keep the animals more entertained, including creating puzzle toys, food balls and tubes which released food when sticks were pulled out of them.

She said: "It was good meeting people from other zoos and swopping ideas. One thing that was really interesting was the reptile lectures. We were shown an alligator being target-trained so it could be more easily inspected for any health issues.

"It will be good to do some target-training with our dwarf crocodiles and monitor lizards, so we can give them health inspections without causing them any stress.

"Enrichment like this is now all part and parcel of our job ­ part of daily animal husbandry."