Lions, Lemurs and Lindsay

In 2011 Lindsay McKenna was running corporate workshops from her farm in Ross-on-Wye. An animal lover as a child, when Lindsay came across a raccoon living in squalid conditions she offered to take it. But this was just the beginning. As word spread, Lindsay discovered more and more exotic animals in trouble. Today her farm is home to almost 200 exotic animals including Lemurs, Lynx, Mountain Lions, Coatis and Servals. Lindsay gave up her corporate work to look after these animals, but with food and energy costs on the rise things may need to change.

Toby Field joins Lindsay as she prepares her feed mixes, and finds out why she refuses to let these animals become exhibits. There's a close encounter with a Mountain Lion, and some Capybara provide an unlikely backdrop to discussions about barn insulation and growing your own produce. Toby watches as Lindsay and her colleague Adrian capture Rudy the Wallaby for a trip to the vet, and Lindsay's husband Frank and daughter Caitlin talk about the origins and future of this extraordinary place.

Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Toby Field.