Danielle Fox

What animals do you work with?

I work in the Marine Mammals where we have 5 seal species (Australian sea lion, Australian fur seal, New Zealand fur seal, California sea lion and Leopard seals), 2 species of penguins (Little and Fiordland crested) and 1 species of pelican.

How long have you been working as a zookeeper?

I have been working at Taronga Zoo for 6 years.

How did you get into zookeeping as a profession?

Ever since I was very young I had an interest in animals. As a kid I was always adopting stray dogs and cats and finding all sorts of injured animals to look after. Once I was old enough, I decided to become a volunteer keeper at Taronga Zoo and this led to my first casual job in the industry. I have been working at the zoo ever since.

What do you love most about your job?

Definitely being able to get close to, and swim with the seals. Not that many people get to be so close to these types of animals so it's definitely one of the perks of the job that we are able to do this.

What has been the wildest moment of your career so far?

A few months ago I was part of the zoo's Leopard Seal rescue team and got to go and rescue two amazing Leopard Seals. Being a part of these rescues gave me a new respect for these animals and having the opportunity to get so close to a wild leopard seal was incredible. Once they had returned to the zoo, helping to rehabilitate and build a trusting relationship with these top order predators was an absolutely life changing experience.