Megan Lewis

Which animals do you work with?

Carnivores.

How long have you been working as a zookeeper?

I started working on the Australian Mammal division at Taronga Conservation Society in 2002 and moved to the Carnivore Unit in 2006.

How did you get into zookeeping as a profession?

After studying at university I began to volunteer at The Australian Reptile Park and then at the Taronga Conservation Society. From there I got a casual keeper position and applied for a permanent position when it became available.

What's the best thing about your job?

I love coming into work and interacting with the variety of animals on the Carnivore section. On any given day they show me interesting, amusing and amazing behaviours. I enjoy participating in the training programs we have implemented on our section to aid in our daily husbandry routines.

I also enjoy sharing these experiences with a team of passionate and dedicated colleagues.

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

So far my wildest moment has been the discovery of baby Platypus. I was fortunate enough to be involved in the captive breeding of Platypus at the Taronga Conservation Society. This species is notorious for its difficulty in captive breeding. To date we have had three successful breeding seasons!

What was the most rewarding part of being involved with the Red Panda breeding?

The most rewarding part of the Red Panda breeding program is watching the cubs develop and grow into healthy adults.

It is very rewarding to know that the work we are doing with Red Pandas is contributing to the long term survival of this species.