For Keeps

Worked at Melbourne Zoo for over 33 years before working at a wildlife park, where I worked with Tigers, Lions, Reptiles, and native fauna. I’ve worked with a huge variety of exotic animals at Melbourne Zoo, from Reptiles to a large Animal collection within the Zoo’s Animal education department, to the Marine Mammal department where I worked with Australian Fur Seals. I was involved with their training and had numerous swimming sessions with them. I also worked on the Carnivore department with Jaguars, Lions, Cheetahs, and Snow Leopards. I’ve also worked with a range of other Carnivores such as Otters, Red Pandas, Meerkats, and exotic small Cats, just to name a few. I worked with Primates such as Gorillas, Orangutans, and Baboons. I was involved in the planning of a number of new enclosures and was sent overseas to North America on a fact-finding tour of Zoos & Aquariums. I left Melbourne Zoo in 2016. Now, at 72 years of age, I spend time traveling and pursuing my passion for gardening and painting in my Eltham art studio, where I have painted many of the Animal Species I have worked with and surround myself with images and many other items that remind me of my amazing career at Melbourne Zoo.