Rachel Lowry
Director
Wildlife Conservation & Science
Email Rachel
Rachel is the Director of Wildlife Conservation and Science for Zoos Victoria. Rachel believes that working with communities is the only way we will rise to the challenge of securing a sustainable future for all living things. Rachel has developed award-winning programs that have tackled biodiversity conservation issues both locally and globally. In 2010 she was awarded Sustainability Leader of the year by WME within the Government and NGO sector. She is currently on the board of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership and the International Zoo Educators Association. In 2011 Rachel was recognised in The Age Melbourne Magazine's Top 100 influential people for her leadership in Melbourne Zoo’s Don’t Palm us Off campaign seeking mandatory labelling of palm-oil on all food products in an attempt to weaken Australia’s link to the palm oil crisis.
Chris Banks
Manager, Conservation Partnerships
Wildlife Conservation & Science
Tel: +61-3 9340 2725
Email Chris
With a zoo career spanning more than 39 years, Chris continues to make a significant contribution to the professionalism and strategic direction of the zoo industry. Chris is a recognised expert on reptiles and has extensive experience as a zoo animal manager in Australia, the UK and USA.
One key aspect of Chris's career is his contribution to the development and delivery of wildlife conservation programs, particularly within south-east Asia. These use key threatened species as flagships to achieve broad biodiversity outcomes and Chris draws on his extensive global networks between zoos, conservation bodies, governments and communities to increase delivery of program objectives.
Chris is currently the Chair of the Tenkile Conservation Alliance, the International Coordinator on the Philippine Crocodile National Recovery Team and a Board member of the Turtle Conservation Fund. He is also the Chair of the Field Conservation Committee for the Zoo & Aquarium Association. In this role, Chris is responsible for developing and implementing Zoos Victoria's role in international in situ conservation programs.
Amanda Embury
Coordinator, Life Sciences
Tel: +61-3 9340 2722
Email Amanda
Amanda has worked at Zoos Victoria for more than 25 years, and has a life-long interest in animal welfare. With qualifications in zoology, education and interpretation, her current role includes developing policies and processes to support animal collection management and ensure the health and well-being of the animals in our care. She has recently been involved in writing Zoos Victoria's new Animal Welfare Code.
Amanda is also interested in collection planning and species management, and is currently the Convener of the Zoo and Aquarium Association's Primate Taxon Advisory Group and the regional co-ordinator for Cotton-top Tamarins, Golden Lion-tamarins & Orang-utans. Her current position as Chair of the Australasian Species Management Committee recognises her active contribution and proven expertise in species management. This position provides further opportunities for engaging with regional government agencies in relation to zoo animal management, and developing more streamlined approaches to permit applications and approvals.
Kiam Yoong
Environmental Sustainability Manager
Tel: +61-3 9340 2727
Email Kiam
Kiam's role involves reducing Zoos Victoria's environmental footprint by developing an Environmental Sustainability Strategy and supporting programs such as an Environmental Management System, Resource Efficiency and Green Procurement.
Kiam's first professional work took him to south-east Asia as a Civil Engineer, where he witnessed widespread devastation of the natural environment. He later held management positions in the manufacturing industry, which highlighted the extensive consumption of natural resources. His passion for the environment led him to pursue a Masters degree in Cleaner Production. He then worked as a consultant in Cleaner Production and Environmental Management Systems. In 2005, he joined Sustainability Victoria where he assisted Victorian business to become more environmentally sustainable, before joining Zoos Victoria in 2008 as Manager for Environmental Sustainability.
Dr Michael Magrath
Senior Scientist
Wildlife Conservation and Science
Tel: +61 3 9340 2752
Email Michael
Michael has a strong background in behavioural and evolutionary ecology, which are fundamental to the fields of animal behaviour, wildlife ecology, reproductive biology and conservation. Most of his previous research has involved wild bird populations, but he has also worked with mammals and invertebrates. He has considerable experience with experimental design, statistical modelling and a range of research technologies, including molecular genotyping, energetic studies and remote monitoring systems.
Michael completed his undergraduate degree at the Australian National University, and then his PhD at the University of Melbourne in 1998. He subsequently held a number of research fellowships in Australia (ANU, University of Melbourne) and Europe (University of Groningen, Netherlands), before joining Zoos Victoria in March 2010. He also worked for the conservation organisation Birds Australia and the Natural History Unit at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Michael’s responsibilities as Senior Scientist include contributing to the strategic planning and promotion of conservation and animal welfare research.
Lorraine Jolly
Life Science Specialist
Tel: +61-3 93402728
Email Lorraine
As Zoos Victoria's Life Science Specialist, Lorraine develops procedural and resource documentation/training modules to progress staff skills and expertise. She has more than 25 years experience in the field of animal care in both research and the zoo industry, and a Masters in Captive Vertebrate Management.
Lorraine champions Zoo Victoria's commitment to best practice animal care. She provides training and conducts internal animal welfare investigations to ensure the wellbeing of our animals is maintained and continually improved. Lorraine is also a husbandry specialist on large African ungulates, and is the ASMP Species Coordinator for Giraffe and Plains Zebra.
Lorraine has made a personal commitment to conservation, living sustainably in a solar and wind-powered house, and restoring western basalt plains grasslands. She is proud to work for an organisation that is committed to being a world leader in zoo-based conservation.
Brooke Squires
Conservation Officer
Wildlifem, Conservation and Science
Tel: +61-3 9340 2724
Email Brooke
Growing up in South Africa, Brooke developed a passion for African wildlife which led to her completing a BSc (Zoology); she then went on to work as a keeper at Werribee Open Range Zoo (WORZ) for seventeen years. One career highlight was working in the game capture unit of Kruger National Park, South Africa, for a year prior to the first regional importation of wild-caught White Rhinoceros to Australasia. Brooke also coordinated the International Rhino conference at WORZ in 2007, and has subsequently served on the board of the International Rhino Keepers Association and the Asian Rhino Project.
Brooke is also passionate about the human communities that are working to preserve their natural heritage in southern and east Africa. She is currently completing a MSc in International Community Development, and coordinates the partnership between Zoos Victoria and the Melako Community Conservancy in Kenya. She has spent several months with the Samburu and Rendille communities in northern Kenya in order to better understand how these communities live with wildlife.
As Coordinator of Conservation Programs at WORZ, Brooke is also developing strategies for WORZ’s local conservation commitments in the western grasslands of Victoria and along the Werribee River.
Dr Marissa Parrott
Reproductive Biologist
Email Marissa
Marissa completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and University of Pretoria, South Africa, before researching mate choice, genetics and breeding success in Agile Antechinus during her PhD. Marissa's post-doctoral research examined assisted reproduction and novel techniques to maximise breeding success in captive breeding colonies of marsupials across Australia. She has more than ten years’ experience in field work, five years’ in molecular genetics laboratories, and eight years’ in research and zoo captive breeding programs. Marissa has experience with a variety of wildlife and conservation programs in Australia, Asia, Africa and the Americas.
In 2007, Marissa joined Zoos Victoria to work on the breeding program for the critically endangered Mountain Pygmy Possum. As our Reproductive Biologist, Marissa works across all three Zoos Victoria properties to improve sustainable zoo populations, reproductive research and captive breeding success, particularly in threatened species.
Michelle Cooper
Support Officer
Wildlife Conservation & Science
Tel: +61-3 9340 2723
Email Michelle
Upon completing her BSc (Zoology) at The University of Melbourne, Michelle worked for the Melbourne Aquarium before moving to Zoos Victoria in 2005. Since then, Michelle has worked in several departments at Werribee Open Range Zoo and Melbourne Zoo (including Animal Husbandry, Experiences & Learning and Visitor Services).
In 2009 Michelle was awarded a Fellowship to work in Papua New Guinea with Zoos Victoria’s Tenkile Conservation Program. Michelle carried out a Protein Assessment Survey throughout remote areas in the Torricelli Mountain Range, working with villagers to assess the current threat of hunting on wildlife populations and promote protein farming as an alternative to hunting. Back in Melbourne, Michelle has currently taken up a Support Officer position with the Wildlife Conservation & Science department and is also employed as a Zoo Keeper, a Zoo Encounters Presenter and a casual relief teacher within Experiences and Learning.
