Bold truth: zookeeping isn’t just about cuddly critters—it’s about safeguarding species on the edge of extinction, and a single person’s dedication can change entire futures. And this is the part most people miss when they picture a zoo worker.
Michael McFadden has spent more than twenty years at Taronga Zoo, and today he oversees lives across several species. When this topic comes up at a party, he often ends up answering questions for about half an hour. It’s not irritation so much as fascination—people are genuinely excited to meet someone who works in the field.
So, what exactly does he do? McFadden lives out a child’s dream in real life: he’s a zookeeper. From early on, reptiles and amphibians captured his imagination. He devoured every documentary and shelved countless books at the library, building a lifelong curiosity he describes as a driving force.
His path into the profession wasn’t a straight line. He studied Zoology at university with the aim of moving to a remote Australian region to contribute to field conservation. During his honors research at Taronga Zoo, he witnessed the team’s projects firsthand and chose to apply for a zookeeper role there.
McFadden began in 2003 as a reptile keeper, rose to supervise the department, and stayed in that leadership role for nearly two decades before transitioning to wildlife conservation officer in 2024.
In a typical day, roughly 90 percent of his time is spent with animals—monitoring welfare, keeping enclosures clean, and maintaining them to look their best. Today, his work centers more on critically endangered species, many of which are off-exhibit and unseen by the public.
There are seven species in particular that are either extinct in the wild or critically endangered, and a wider group deserving attention behind the scenes. The pressures these animals face mean every breeding attempt matters, and the strain can be nerve-wracking when lives hang in the balance.
For instance, one species took years to figure out how to breed, only to have vanished from the wild in the interim. In those moments, the team had to improvise quickly to stabilize and increase their numbers.
McFadden also addresses a common misconception about zoos. He argues that without zoos, several species would already be extinct or nearly so, because zoos establish insurance colonies and work intensively on conservation.
Within his department—and across Australian zoos—species such as the southern corroboree frog, the Christmas Island blue-tailed skink, and the yellow-spotted bell frog have maintained populations of hundreds through captive breeding. These efforts buy time to assess threats and develop plans to reintroduce animals into the wild.
He’s hopeful that many of these species will be restored in the wild within a generation, allowing future visitors to observe them in their natural habitats again.
While his love for all animals remains strong, his specialty and passion lie with reptiles and amphibians. Even though some keepers switch focus, he’s chosen to stay with what he loves most.
Over his 23-year career, McFadden has gained substantial on-the-ground experience. Yet the most fulfilling part of his work is contributing to the survival of critically endangered species.
"Knowing that our team—and our collaborators—help prevent extinction is incredibly rewarding. Seeing species persist on Earth rather than merely in jars is a powerful feeling," he says. He acknowledges the difficulty of the mission, noting that addressing wild threats is essential, but he remains optimistic because tangible progress is happening for several species.
Produced in partnership with CareerOne.
