I acknowledge the unseeded land on which I have lived and worked and recognise the Traditional Owners for their connection to this country. I acknowledge the Wurundjeri people from the Kulin nation, as the country where I live and work. I also acknowledge the Bunurong people from the Kulin nation, as the country where I was born and the Wadda Wurrung people and specifically the Boro Gundidj mob of the Kulin nation, from the country where I was raised. I pay my respects to elder’s past, present and emerging.
Melissa has previously worked with the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) in 2018 and has re-joined the team in 2021 and is hosted by Zoos Victoria. In her role, she is responsible for assessment of threatened Australian native species to determine their current risk of extinction. These assessments will enable an understanding of the impacts and conservation priorities for animals that have been affected by the recent bushfires.
Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Animal Sciences from the University of Melbourne. She has also studied through her Masters degree at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences where she specialised in Ethology. Her previous experience includes management in animal husbandry within the domestic animal field as well as at an exotics animal park in the US. She has always held a keen interest in wildlife, conservation and animal welfare and this is what led her to seek out operations work with ZAA in 2018. Following her time with ZAA she went on to work as the Animal Welfare Coordinator with the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria and was hosted by Wild Planted Trust (Paignton Zoo) in the UK. She has a role on the Animal Ethics Committee for Large and Exotic Animals at the University of Melbourne.
Melissa is very excited to have returned to Australia to re-join the brilliant team at ZAA and be a part of the new Threaten Species Assessor project. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys travelling, exploring different cuisines, watching AFL and being active in nature.