Gamekeeper facts for kids

A gamekeeper is a person who looks after a piece of land, like a countryside area, to make sure there are enough wild animals for hunting or fish for fishing. They actively manage woodlands, open fields (moorland), waterways, or farms. Their main goal is to help game birds, deer, fish, and other wildlife thrive.

The Gamekeeper by Richard Ansdell (1815 - 1885)

In the UK, a gamekeeper usually works for a landowner on a large country estate. Their job involves several important tasks:

• Stopping poaching, which is hunting animals illegally.
• Raising and releasing game birds like pheasants and partridges.
• Managing animals that might harm game, such as foxes, to keep the ecosystem balanced.
• Encouraging and looking after birds like grouse.
• Making sure the places where game animals live (their habitats) are suitable for them.
• Checking on the health of the game animals.

Images for kids

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  Paul Childerley, a British professional stalker and gamekeeper

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  A professional hunter (left) with a guest hunter (right) looking for big-game in the Kalahari Desert, Namibia

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  Controlling feral pig populations from a helicopter in Texas