Volunteers come face-to-face with rhino
Volunteers from the power firm UK Power Networks came face-to-face with a rhino while helping to upgrade its enclosure
14 members of the company’s property and consents team from Maidstone, Kent took on the task of fixing and painting the fence at the nearby Port Lympne Safari Park.
After a safety briefing, the volunteers were taken down to the rhino enclosure, where they sanded down the enclosure’s fencing, followed by adding a coat of dark green paint, managing to finish the whole section on one side of the paddock.
While carrying out their work, there was a huge rhino in the enclosure they were painting and she came over to investigate what was going on. But the calm-natured animal got use to the team and was munching away on grass for the rest of the day.
For their hard work, the team were treated to a tour of the safari seeing lions, giraffes, wild dogs, monkeys, deer, camels and, of course, rhinos.
Laura Segust, competition in connections surveyor, said “We really enjoyed the Donate a Day, it was nice to get out of the office and do something different plus at the same time do something good and added bonus we got to see lots of animals!
“The team worked really well together and we got the whole section of fencing sanded and painted from one end to the other on one side of the enclosure, which we didn’t think we would get finished but we made good progress throughout the day and worked together to get the job done.
“A day like this is of great benefit to the team, you meet new people, get out in the fresh air, have a bit of laugh and at the same time pull together and help the park out.”
Volunteer coordinator at Port Lympne Safari Park Simon Griggs, said: “Thanks to the UK Power Networks team for all their recent hard work at Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve. For their volunteer day they helped to paint one of our many rhinos’ enclosure fences and were watched throughout the day by Ruaha, one of our Eastern Black Rhinos, as they worked hard to complete what is a never-ending task.”
Published 08/04/2025
14 members of the company’s property and consents team from Maidstone, Kent took on the task of fixing and painting the fence at the nearby Port Lympne Safari Park.
After a safety briefing, the volunteers were taken down to the rhino enclosure, where they sanded down the enclosure’s fencing, followed by adding a coat of dark green paint, managing to finish the whole section on one side of the paddock.
While carrying out their work, there was a huge rhino in the enclosure they were painting and she came over to investigate what was going on. But the calm-natured animal got use to the team and was munching away on grass for the rest of the day.
For their hard work, the team were treated to a tour of the safari seeing lions, giraffes, wild dogs, monkeys, deer, camels and, of course, rhinos.
Laura Segust, competition in connections surveyor, said “We really enjoyed the Donate a Day, it was nice to get out of the office and do something different plus at the same time do something good and added bonus we got to see lots of animals!
“The team worked really well together and we got the whole section of fencing sanded and painted from one end to the other on one side of the enclosure, which we didn’t think we would get finished but we made good progress throughout the day and worked together to get the job done.
“A day like this is of great benefit to the team, you meet new people, get out in the fresh air, have a bit of laugh and at the same time pull together and help the park out.”
Volunteer coordinator at Port Lympne Safari Park Simon Griggs, said: “Thanks to the UK Power Networks team for all their recent hard work at Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve. For their volunteer day they helped to paint one of our many rhinos’ enclosure fences and were watched throughout the day by Ruaha, one of our Eastern Black Rhinos, as they worked hard to complete what is a never-ending task.”
Published 08/04/2025