Blog: Keeping on with FND

Ahead of FND Awareness Day (25 March), Anna Cowen-Hubbard (Shaldon Wildlife Trust) highlights the neurological conditions which exist in every workplace, zoos included: 

A typical day as a zookeeper might start with preparing feeds, scrubbing habitats, setting up enrichment, and checking on the animals, before switching gears to deliver an experience or talk to visitors about conservation. It’s physical work, it’s animal and people-focused, and it’s work most keepers are deeply passionate about.

Like many people in the zoo sector, I worked hard to get here. Keeper roles are competitive, and landing one often follows years of volunteering, learning on the job and taking every opportunity you can to build experience. When I became an Education and Experience Keeper at Shaldon Wildlife Trust, it felt like I had finally stepped into the role I had always been aiming for.

Then my nervous system had other plans.

A year after starting my job, I developed Functional Neurological Disorder, more commonly known as FND. FND is a neurological condition that affects how the brain and nervous system control the body. In people with FND, the structure of the brain is clinically normal, but the way the brain sends and processes signals is disrupted. This can affect movement, sensation and cognitive function.

Because the nervous system controls almost everything the body does, the symptoms of FND can vary widely and can sometimes mimic other neurological conditions such as MS and Parkinson's. Some people experience tremors, weakness or difficulty walking. Others may have problems with balance, speech, concentration or fatigue. Symptoms can fluctuate from day to day, and sometimes even within the same day.

Research into FND has grown significantly in recent years, and it is now recognised as one of the most common conditions seen in neurology clinics. Despite this, many people have never heard of FND until they are diagnosed. Some GPs still rely on outdated information, so awareness and education about the condition remain needed.  

FND Awareness Day in the UK is held on 25th March each year and aims to bring visibility to a condition that many people still haven’t heard of, even though it affects thousands of people.

The exact cause of FND is still unknown. However, like many neurological conditions, periods of stress or burnout can sometimes act as a risk factor for some individuals.

In the zoo and aquarium sector, conversations about stress and burnout are becoming more common. It’s a demanding field filled with passionate people who care deeply about the animals they work with. Many managers are now putting measures in place to help reduce these pressures, but not everyone realises the toll that prolonged stress can take on the body.

For many others, like me, stress was not a factor. The timing meant my diagnosis arrived just as I was settling into my dream role; at a time when I was rock climbing on my days off and taking holidays to climb mountains.

Suddenly, the job I loved came with new challenges. Needing a crutch to walk around site meant finding new ways to carry equipment. Fatigue and weakness meant learning how to pace. Poor memory meant relying on notes on my phone rather than my own brain.

With a fluctuating disability, it was difficult at first to work out what help and reasonable adjustments I needed. One of the most helpful approaches we found was planning my day as if I might experience my worst symptoms. On better days, I could do more and remove some of the adjustments. Being able to say you can do more is always easier than saying you need more help.

The zoo and aquarium community talks a lot about sustainability: protecting ecosystems, safeguarding species and supporting conservation work around the world. But sustainability also applies to people. Retaining passionate, knowledgeable staff means recognising that some of us will face health challenges during our careers. Creating a culture where compassion and adaptation are normal benefits everyone, not just those living with diagnosed conditions. This is something I have been fortunate to witness during my time at Shaldon Wildlife Trust.

FND Awareness Day is an opportunity to talk openly about neurological conditions and highlight that they exist in every profession, including animal care. Greater awareness helps reduce misunderstanding and encourages workplaces to become more inclusive.

My diagnosis meant learning new ways to do the job I love and rediscovering what it means to be a zookeeper. Taking a step back allowed me to see the bigger picture: we are all passionate, knowledgeable people working hard toward a shared goal of conservation and education.

I may need extra rest breaks and sometimes an extra pair of hands, but I’m still a zookeeper. I still enjoy a freshly cleaned habitat, a successful enrichment idea, and the moment a visitor suddenly understands why protecting wildlife matters.

These days, I keep going with a slightly unpredictable nervous system and a lot of determination.

- Anna Cowen-Hubbard, Education and Experience Keeper, Shaldon Wildlife Trust

All blogs reflect the views of their author and are not necessarily a reflection of BIAZA's position