Crowd Network explores the animal world in new show Abi Clarke: Zookeeper in Training with Chester Zoo

Crowd Network (Crowd), one of Europe’s fastest growing independent podcast networks, is launching new podcast Abi Clarke: Zookeeper in Training, where popular comedian Abi Clarke learns what it takes to be a Chester Zoo zookeeper.

The show is Crowd’s first animal-focused podcast, and a fresh addition to its roster of comedy podcasts.

Across six episodes, listeners will get a unique insight into the private lives of some of the world’s most endangered animals, with Clarke providing in-person and studio commentary. In the first episode, she meets rare giraffes, learns to look after endangered giant otters, and provides commentary on the zookeepers moving more than one hundred flamingos.

The comedy podcast is synergistic for Abi Clarke — a stand-up comedian with more than two million followers across her social media profiles. After her viral TikTok sketches propelled her to fame, Abi has established herself as a popular comedian with a particularly strong young and female following. She’s represented by United Talent Agency (UTA), who set up the collaboration.

Abi Clarke, host of Abi Clarke: Zookeeper in Training, said: “I’m having the best time hosting the podcast. As an animal lover, it’s a privilege to have such unique access to Chester Zoo and meet so many rare and precious animals — as you’ll hear, I really get stuck in!”

Abi’s audience aligns with Chester Zoo’s ambition to inspire the next generation of conservationists, with young people key in the fight to ensure a greener, more sustainable and brighter future for the planet. As a world-leading wildlife charity, the zoo operates as a “force for nature” through its globally recognised conservation work. The zoo, which is funded by the two million visitors it attracts every year, was recently ranked as the UK’s best zoo on TripAdvisor.

Vicky Ashdown, AV Production and Talent Manager at Chester Zoo, commented: “When people visit Chester Zoo to enjoy a great day out, they might not be aware that, behind the scenes, we carry out species-saving conservation work — focused on everything from iconic mammals like critically endangered rhinos, right through to precious tiny snails, colourful birds, and even highly threatened cacti. We’re thrilled to team up with Abi and Crowd to give a whole new insight into the workings of this extraordinary place and the incredibly passionate people who make it tick. This is a very different kind of zoo audio documentary, and we can’t wait for people to hear it.”

Abi Clarke: Zookeeper in Training is the latest collaboration between Crowd and a nature-focused brand, with Crowd also working with Greenpeace International on the SystemShift podcast, and Greenpeace UK to produce Oceans: Life Under Water. Crowd’s work on Oceans led to the podcast winning the Bronze Climate award at the 2024 British Podcast Awards.

Crowd works with a plethora of brands across various industries and sectors — including BrewDog, Sage, and Red Bull — to tell their stories in creative, innovative ways. Podcasting provides brands with the flexibility and creativity to craft engaging content that captures new audiences across audio, video, and social media formats.

Vicky Wright, Producer at Crowd, added: “Making this podcast has been a new way of working for us, as it has largely been recorded in the zoo around the animals — not a studio. We’re recording face to face with a sloth, just a few steps away from a crocodile, and surrounded by hundreds of birds: navigating these unpredictable animals has been one of my most fun challenges since starting in podcasting. We’ve been able to create a multimedia machine with a nimble crew, which just isn’t possible with other media forms. The show is enabling us to push boundaries and create the most interesting and creative podcasts possible.”