Our Team
Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital
Claude – Veterinary Services Manager
Vicky - Senior Veterinary Nurse
Kathy - Hospital Administrator
Jacquie - Tours & Conference Bookings Coordinator
Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors
Kirby - PR & Communications Coordinator
Hannah V - Donor Relations Officer
Saira - PR & Communications Officer
Jenny - Administration Assistant
Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital
Claude – Veterinary Services Manager
Claude joined the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital as a veterinarian in March 2008. Originally from Quebec, Canada, she obtained her veterinary degree from the University of Montreal in 2000. Her passion for wildlife and zoo medicine was already obvious in vet school where she completed multiple externships in zoos and rehabilitation centres throughout both Canada and USA.
After graduation, she completed a one-year internship at the Raptor Centre adjoined to the University of Montreal where she obtained her skills in avian medicine. She then moved to Alabama, USA, to complete a one-year internship as a zoo veterinarian. She was finally employed as the associate veterinarian at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, USA, where she worked for 6 years.
Working as a zoo veterinarian has allowed her to become familiar with many animal species, including African, South American, Asian, and Australian species. She remains the veterinary advisor for the Eurasian Black Vulture SSP (Species Survival Plan) in the USA. She has published many articles in veterinary journals, including on polar bears and elephants. Her experience, knowledge, and organization skills have been a great addition to the Hospital team. She has completely fallen in love with all the Australian native species. She is currently the manager of the Veterinary Services here at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital .
Amber has had a passion for wildlife for as long as she can remember and dreamed of being a vet. Growing up, she also experienced Australian wildlife through raising injured fruit bats and the occasional possum and wallaby.
Amber’s real experiences with wildlife began six years ago when she travelled to South Africa for a wildlife symposium and game capture course. She loved it so much over there that she returned in the beginning of 2003 to continue her veterinary degree there for the year. That year, Amber was lucky enough to get a job with the DeWildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre in South Africa. She worked as an assistant handler for one of their ambassador cheetahs and as a tour guide, helped with feeding and also assisted the vet with all sorts of procedures from minor injuries to limb amputations. She also got involved with the African Wild Dogs and Brown Hyena.
After returning to Australia in 2004, Amber completed an externship program with Taronga Zoo for four weeks and in 2005, spent some time with the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital and met the staff, which Amber says turned out to be the best thing she had done, because this, along with her experiences overseas and in Australia, helped her get to where she is now – an employed vet at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital .
Peter - VeterinarianDr Peter joined the team at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital in April 2007 and brings with him a wealth of experience, particularly with regard to ungulates and raptors, which hold a special interest for him.
Peter previously worked with the International Zoo Veterinary Group in the United Kingdom, and the Wildlife Protection Office in Dubai and we are delighted to be able to utilise his skills and diverse experience at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.
Robyn joined the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital team at the end of November 2009 after spending three years overseas. She graduated from the University of Queensland at the end of 2006 after spending much of her spare time volunteering at the hospital, following the vets and nurses around!
She has always had a strong desire to work with Australian wildlife, and while finishing high school began caring for an assortment of wildlife, from injured birds to orphaned possums. This passion followed her through her university days with many an evening spent rushing home from university to collect eucalypt tip for hungry orphans, or dashing off to resuce injured creatures.
Having felt the pull of travel upon finishing university, Robyn moved to England where she spent an enjoyable two years working with dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits and an assortment of other English "pocket pets". The first eight months of 2009 were spent driving and camping around Europe, after which she decided it was time to return to sunny Queensland.
Robyn was lucky enough that at the same time she returned the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital was looking for a new veterinarian. Since being offered and accepting the position, Robyn can't see herself working anywhere else. She strives to give her best to every patient that comes into the hospital, and loves seeing her patients recover and be released.
Vicky - Senior Veterinary Nurse
Nurse Vicky joined our Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital after 10 years as a veterinary nurse in private veterinary practice. Nurse Vicki loves wildlife and, like Gail, has spent many years helping sick and injured wildlife as a volunteer wildlife carer.
She was thrilled to come and work at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital , where she can dedicate all of her time to caring exclusively for wildlife and helping our beautiful wild patients on their road to recovery. Vicki looks after the day-to-day care and medication of our patients, and helps Dr Jon with veterinary treatments and procedures.
Jennifer is an accredited veterinary nurse and joined our team in January 2008. She had previously worked for five years in both general practice and emergency critical care of domestic animals, and also volunteered and worked as a casual keeper in Taronga Zoo’s bird show for over two years.
Jennifer moved to the SunshineCoast from Sydney to take up a nursing position at our Hospital and is loving the variety of wild animals that come into our care, as well as exploring the biodiversity that South East Queensland has to offer. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biodiversity and Conservation through MacquarieUniversity, and would like to do further study in Ornithology. It is a dream come true for Jennifer to work full time in wildlife conservation and she is particularly interested in raptor and parrot conservation.
Lee joined us at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital as a volunteer in September 2006 and then took on a position as a trainee veterinary nurse in November 2007. She is devoted to all wildlife and is passionate about our sea turtles. Every spare minute that she has she dedicates to learning about the care and rehabilitation of these unique animals.
Lee has spent her life surrounded by animals and began rescuing them from a young age, so being a part of our great team at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital is the ultimate for her. As Lee says “Where else can you live the dream?”
Joining the team at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital has been a dream come true for Jaimee. Jaimee had been a regular visitor to Australia Zoo since 2000 and knew her goal was to work for Wildlife Warriors.
Jaimee completed her veterinary nursing training in 2006 in Tamworth, NSW, however her love of native animals grew from her upbringing in the Northern Territory. Jaimee lived in Arnhem Land for six years and discovered the Territory's unique wildlife. She developed close ties with the Aboriginal people (her aboriginal adopted name is Rosie Queen) and learned the value of wildlife in their culture, such as crocodiles and snakes, as well as the environment.
Having worked voluntarily in local veterinary clinics throughout her secondary years in NSW, Jaimee's passion for wildlife grew with her ever-increasing knowledge of animals - Jaimee attributes this to the support and mentoring of the local vets. She has hand-reared and cared for many sick and abandoned animals, the most notable being "Rosie" the Eastern Rosella who was released and has recently become a mother. She was a registered wildlife carer with WIRES NSW and has completed general animal care, reptile care and rescue, including venomous snakes, raptor care and rescue.
In 2007 she headed back to her beloved Northern Territory to work as a vet nurse and continue expanding her knowledge.
Jaimee has always been keen to learn about and treat new animals and is particularly enjoying the personalities of the koala patients at the Hospital. Whilst she has focused her career on native animals, Jaimee says if there was one animal she would love to work with it would be the orangutan ... "it must be the hair!"
Nicole has always loved animals and believes that wildlife and its protection are such important issues. This led to her studying a Bachelor in Applied Science in Animal Studies, specialising in Wildlife Biology. She was employed for a number of years as a zookeeper working mainly with endangered Australian animals. Concerned for their health and welfare, she began studying Vet Nursing and while doing this she worked as an emergency and critical care nurse at an after-hours emergency veterinary clinic.
Nicole travelled to New Zealand in 2008 to do some volunteer work with Barbary lions, Bengal tigers and white African lions. She has also had the opportunity to travel to South Africa twice where she visited locations that added to her passion for protection of all wildlife. She spent time at the Elephant Sanctuary – Hartbeespoort Dam and at De Wildt Cheetah Sanctuary, as well as going on safari in Kruger National Park. The African people and animals have gained a place in Nicole’s heart and she plans to go back and volunteer in a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre. Nicole inherited a passion for photography which extends mainly to animals and trying to capture the essence of their existence in particular.
Nicole commenced work at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital in November 2008. She looks forward to culminating her skills to help wildlife and give them a voice.
Cheryl is a qualified animal technician, technical officer, zookeeper and veterinary nurse with over 20 years experience with wildlife, domestic and farm animals.
Upon a visit in 2004 to the Sunshine Coast, Australia Zoo and the recently-established Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Cheryl and her family decided to move from Melbourne with the intention of working permanently in the wildlife hospital.
Cheryl initially worked as a volunteer before becoming employed on a full-time basis. She has watched the hospital and its team grow over the past seven years, caring for and working miracles on a multitude of wildilfe.
Originally from Adelaide, Tanya made the journey up to the Sunshine Coast with her two beloved great danes, Zeus and Star, in early January 2011 after being fortunate to have been offered a nursing position here late last year.
In her earlier nursing years, Tanya was a volunteer wildlife carer for Fauna Rescue SA, before children took over her "spare time". She holds qualifications in Veterinary Nursing, Veterinary Nutrition, and Canine Behaviour and Training. The latter is another side of the profession that she has a very strong and passionate interest in - not only with dogs but ALL animals.
"Animals make great teachers, you can learn so much about them as individuals. Having patience, perseverance and a sense of humour (at times you need it!) builds a special human-animal connection like no other," Tanya says.
Veterinary nursing has also given Tanya the opportunity to work and travel interstate, and most memorably allowed her to volunteer with a couple of international organisations offering health care and educational programs, ranging from street dogs and cats to gibbons, as part of the gibbon rehabilitation project Bang Pae Waterfall in Thailand.
Although coming from a domestic animal background, being part of a like-minded team where we all are the animals' advocates, Tanya is looking forward to learning so much more from our "wilder" critters which take the vet nursing ride to a whole different level - and where else could you find a more appropriate place to do it?
Tori is a Certificate IV qualified veterinary nurse with over five years experience woking at domestic small animal practices in her hometown of Orange in NSW. Tori and her dog Pip relocated to the Sunshine Coast in January 2011 so she could pursue new professional challenges and is thoroughly enjoying her new role as a veterinary nurse at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.
Tori has attended a number of continuing education courses including parasitology, anaesthesia and intensive care, clinical pathology and pain management and resuscitation to further her knowledge and cannot wait to adapt her skills to the array of wildlife that gets brought into the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital every day.
For Lisa, joining the AZWH team as a veterinary nurse was a ten year dream come true. Her keen interest in wildlife conservation led her to work experience placements at Healesville Sanctuary, and Adelaide Zoo and a six-month internship with Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Texas, USA in 2006. Most recently Lisa travelled to Africa where she volunteered with the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre and the Siyafunda game reserve research project.
Lisa has 6 years of veterinary nursing experience in domestic animal practice, including 2 years in emergency and critical care, and has completed her Diploma of Applied Science in Animal Technology as well as her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing. Lisa looks forward to the challenge of working with Australia's unique wildlife at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.
Amanda has been employed at Australia Zoo since 2005 and spent five years as an animal keeper working in a variety of departments, including koalas, native mammals, primates and cheetahs. She has recently joined the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital team as a trainee vet nurse to continue her work with her favourite animals, the gorgeous koalas. She is excited to be involved in koala rescue and rehabilitation activities, helping to give these little Aussie battlers a fighting chance.
Outside of work, Amanda has enjoyed wandering across the planet, travelling through Africa and South America, and has worked with all manner of creatures, from awesome jaguars to tiny African primates. But back at home, her favourite pastimes include a relaxing yoga session, or chilling at the beach with a good book.
Kathy - Hospital Administrator
Kathy joined the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital as part of our administration team in August 2007. She had worked for over 17 years for another not-for-profit organisation and feels privileged to now be part of an “awesome and passionate team that all work so well together” caring for injured wildlife and promoting conservation.
Kathy loves animals – pets have always been part of her family - and is looking forward to learning more about wildlife. She enjoys the outdoors and bush walking and often can be found on top of Mt Ngun Ngun. Her number one life experience so far has been scuba driving and snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef.
Jacquie - Tours and Conference Bookings Co-ordinator
All her life Jacquie has had a consuming passion for all things animal, so she loves working so closely with Australian wildlife. Jacquie is proud to be a part of an organisation that really makes a difference. Every day brings new patients and new experiences, and even though many situations are extremely challenging, Jacquie says there is no place she'd rather be.
Shirl's involvement with the Hospital began as a volunteer carer of sick, injured and orphaned koalas when the facility first opened in 2004. Prior to that she had been undertaking the rescue of sick, injured and orphaned koalas in the Pine Rivers District, as well as caring for koalas from all over SEQ for Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service from 1993 till 2004.
Shirl was a founding member of the Pine Rivers Koala Care Association Inc., which began its work in 1995 and helped to form the Pine Rivers Koala Rescue Unit in 1999. She worked with this group for over five years and resigned at the end of 2004.
Shirl is a founding member of Koala Action Pine Rivers Incorporated (KAPR) and regularly conducted wildlife rescues on behalf of Wildcare and the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital at Beerwah. According to Shirl, KAPR is an action-based group keen on “doing” rather than “talking about doing”. A key component of the group’s work is educating the community about the koala and the perils it faces. Its members concentrate their endeavours on retaining and rehabilitating wildlife habitat, replanting areas denuded of native vegetation with koala food trees and other native trees, shrubs or grasses. The group is committed to supporting the community’s koala orphan carers by developing koala food tree plantations and subsidising carer’s food costs. Shirl has been President of KAPR for two years.
Whilst volunteering at the Hospital Shirl came to admire and respect the level of commitment shown by Gail Gipp and Jon Hanger and was inspired by the work they are doing. She wanted to be part that energy “that is so focused on providing each and every native animal that comes into care with the best possible outcome.”
Delicia has been part of the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital team since May 2005. First as a volunteer then as a staff member. Caring for our unique Australian wildlife has become a passion that has led her into specialising in rehabilitation of some of the most misunderstood species of wildlife - Flying Foxes and Microbats. Being part of a team of people dedicated to helping our wildlife is a privilege she never takes for granted.
Through her experiences working with the team at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital , Delicia made the difficult decision to return to study and is now half way through her training to become a Veterinary Nurse. Her life has become very busy and full of exciting challenges.
For as long as she can remember Megan has always had a love of animals. From growing up on a farm raising many different animals to becoming a wildlife carer and rescuer with Moreton Bay Koala Rescue, she surrounds herself with animals.
After volunteering for several years at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, in 2009 Megan was offered the position of Receptionist. She jumped at the change to fulfill a lifelong dream to work within the animal industry, so resigned from her job immediately.
Megan considers it a privilege to be involved in the care and rehabilitation of our wonderful native wildlife; never taking anything for granted, she treasures each interaction and experience and appreciates the dedication, passion and sharing of knowledge from everyone at the wildlife hospital.
Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors
Born in New Zealand, Murray naturally has a great love of the outdoors and respect for nature. This has spilled over to his passion for conservation and the environment. Murray now heads up the team at Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors and is always striving to get people involved in helping to save the planet.
Murray has been to every country in the world! Well, almost. He's travelled extensively through Europe, South America and Africa (twice) with the latter being his destination of choice. He has worked in the zoo industry for the past seven years and prior to that, worked at a sanctuary for orphaned chimpanzees in Uganda.
Apart from saving all the world's wildlife, Murray has one big mission in life - to keep his sanity working in an office full of girls!
Kirby - PR & Communications Coordinator
Kirby started at Wildlife Warriors HQ in June 2010. Before joining the team, Kirby could to be found running around the corporate jungle (Brisbane CBD, that is). Kirby now prefers dashing all over the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital on important media-related, wildlife-saving missions, occasionally bumping into some of the gorgeous wildlife in our care!
Having lived near a beach her whole life, it was inevitable that Kirby fell in love with ocean life. Growing up, Kirby's love for aquatic critters soon blossomed into a passion for all animals big and small, particularly Australia's native wildlife. Kirby loves so many of our animals here at the wildlife hospital, but one of her all-time favourites is Frodo the little koala joey.
On her days off work, Kirby loves getting to the beach for a surf, run and swim and to check that our beautiful shorelines have been kept neat and tidy!
Hannah V - Donor Relations Officer 
Hannah started at Australia Zoo in 2005 and worked in several departments before joining Wildlife Warriors as the main point-of-call for all of our awesome monthly donors. Hannah processes donations and allocates funds to our conservation projects all around the world, and also maintains our donor database and donor correspondence.
When the opportunity arises Hannah loves to get out of the office and help out during the whale-watching season on Whale One, and always jumps at the chance to be around our gorgeous animals, especially the lemurs and elephants.
In her spare time Hannah enjoys playing football, chilling with her mates on one of our beautiful local beaches and travelling the world in search for the perfect snowboarding destination.
Saira - PR & Communications Officer
Saira joined the crew in 2007 and has the busy role of updating our website, writing our regular Patient of the Week stories and articles for our e-newsletter Warrior Times, and assisting with anything media-related.
During her school-based traineeship Saira completed Certificates II and III in Business and was named a state finalist in the 2009 Queensland School-based Apprentice or Trainee of the Year awards. She now works casually while studying fulltime at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
It's Saira's dream to visit every continent on the planet, including Antarctica, and she is forever chopping and changing her list of 100 things to do in her life. One thing's for sure though: she's pretty lucky that she already has her perfect job :)
Jenny - Administration Assistant
The beautiful Jenny is our knight in shining armour. She graces us with her presence two days a week and undertakes all the important Wildlife Warriors administrative tasks, as well as the boring menial tasks the rest of the team have been putting off!
Jenny joined the Australia Zoo team in 2001 and has done a bit of everything there is to do since then. After taking a break for a couple of years to travel the world she returned to the coast to work onboard Steve's Whale One, checking out the beautiful whale and marine life. Jenny eventually became part of the Wildlife Warriors team in 2009 while pregnant with her first child.
After a well-deserved year off to spend time with her gorgeous new baby girl, Jenny is now right back in the action, and even helps out the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit when not in the office. What a little beauty!
