Well hey there! I've been looking for a site like this for quite a while, and now that I've been introduced to one, I thought it would be appropriate to introduce myself. To put it plainly, I've been heavily invested in both wildlife & animals in captivity, and have been dead-set on entering the industry in the future. Of course, the big goal is to become a zookeeper, but I'm certainly open to looking into similar careers, or maybe even heading more down the direct conservation route. I've grown up in the West Midlands here in the UK, and naturally, my closest facility, West Midland Safari Park, has a MASSIVE place in my heart. I have grown up visiting, usually at least twice annually, and have also ventured slightly further to some others dotted around the country. Also, my love for zoos and wildlife doesn't stop at the border, as possibly the biggest contributor to my love, passion, and enthusiasm for wildlife and the animal care industry is Australia Zoo over in Queensland, Australia. I'm going to move on from that now before I begin to ramble too much, but I'm extremely eager to make my first visit later this year. I also do quite a bit of animal photography, ranging from local wildlife to my favourite (of course), zoo photography! I read the rules and from what I can clarify, this is within allowed. So, if any of you would like to check out my work, which I'm extremely passionate about, my Instagram username is @macaulaycottphotos, and you can see all of my other social profiles at beacons.ai/macaulaycottphotos. I'm definitely up to chatting with anybody, whether it's careers, photography, general chat, or anything really. Particularly if you have any advice for me considering I'm starting a Level 3 Animal Management course in September. Have a great day everyone! I'm beyond excited to delve into the many forums of this site, past and present.
Welcome to ZooChat @Mac. I have no doubt you’ll enjoy exploring all ZooChat has to offer. I thought you might find this thread helpful, as it details all the zoos and wildlife parks in Australia by region (including Queensland): Zoos of Australia Queensland has a wealth of facilities including Wildlife HQ, which is just 22 minutes away from Australia Zoo; and Darling Downs Zoo, which although a bit further, is rated highly by many of us within the Australasian forum for its impressive collection.
