Johny and Rani may have the best jobs in the world – they get to hang out at Longleat Safari Park and learn about animals for the brilliant CBBC show Roar! They tell us some of their messy animal tales.

What is it like working with the animals?

Johny: It’s been awful! No, seriously working with animals has been amazing. It’s fascinating. I’ve always loved animals but I’m by no means an expert, so I’ve been learning as I’m going along and for me, everything’s impressive. Like the lions: it’s all real, though it looks like something out of the movies!

Rani: That never changes. I mean, we were filming last week next to the lions and when they roar, it gets your stomach going! We’re really, really lucky – we’re so privileged we get to get so close to the animals. We get to get right next to the fence with the keepers so we can touch them. We’re allowed to touch them – something you never get the opportunity to do, so being that close to them and doing those things, it shocks you. Every week when I go home, I tell my friends and family and they’re just like, “you’ve got the best job!” But it’s not a job, it’s a holiday! It’s like being on holiday, some of the things you get to do. Of course, some things are awful, like when an animal pees on you and you just go “urgh!”

Which of the animals have peed on you, then?

Rani: Oh, where shall we start?!

Johny: There was a case when I first started, I think it was in my first week actually and we were doing this thing called Ask the Keeper, so we had kids coming in and asking the keeper questions – and sometimes I’ll put in a question. The first time I’d been down at the elephant paddock, the bull male – which is the biggest of the elephants was there. He was just huge! And I said, “How do they unblock their trunks, if they get something stuck?” And just as I said that, he comes over and blows his nose all over me! So his elephant gunk is all over me. It was gross – I think it was him teaching me a lesson.

Rani: You have to watch out for all those things, especially with the monkeys. Most of the monkeys, they’ll climb up high and you’ll spend your time dodging spurts of pee, it’s not rain – it’s peeing! Most of the time, I’m like “urgh, gross”, covered in wee. There’s always something. Like the other day, we were with Guinea fowl – and they’re small little things, so I thought, “oh, they can’t hurt me.” But then I put my hand down, straight into a pile of poo. I was like “oh great. Now I have Guinea fowl poo on me!” And its everywhere you go – if you’re not standing on it, there’s a lot of it around. And that’s why we get Johnny to clean it all up!

What animals do you end up smelling of when you go home?

Rani: Gorillas I find really strong – especially when you go to their bedroom area. It truly smells. Even if you go up to the enclosure it just smells and it has this ability to linger and stick to you and get under your nose.

Johny: For me, African hunting dogs are a bit smelly as well. But in general, just being at the park, I come home reeking!

Rani: It sticks in your hair, doesn’t it? Especially the chips in the canteen!

Do you have your favourite animals to work with then?

Johny: I don’t like animals. Joking! My favourite animals are monkey-gibbons – I love them, they’re right cute. They’re really endangered, the most out of all the primates. They’re a greyish colour and have these big long arms. They’re just like how you’d imagine a monkey to be – swinging from branch to branch.

Rani: I’m kind of in love with the rhinos. Before I came to the park, I thought I’d love to see an elephant, but then I saw the rhinos! At first I thought they were just big, heavy things that charge around, but they’re so delicate! We’ve been so lucky, we’ve gotten to stroke them behind the ears and they love that! They go “Meuww meuww” and it makes you think, “how can this big scary animal make that sweet noise?!” I like the way they chew their food, their big green salads. It’s amazing to be that close. And the giraffes – they’re so quiet and so strong: I need to learn from them! They just creep up on you and when you turn around, they’re just there and the colour of them! It’s like the sunlight just comes into your eyes – this golden thing in front of you. You’re amazed by them and it takes your breath away. The giraffes and the rhino, I just think are really magical.

Johny: For me the lions are amazing. Being there with them is just like The Lion King! The lion was the one animal that when I came I was like “WOW”! It’s amazing and you’re humbled by it.

Catch Johny and Rani in Roar on CBBC at 8am