Feminism in the animal kingdom: One of Australia’s first female zookeepers debunks sexist myths in powerful memoir

In the early 1980s, when Erna Walraven decided to follow her dreams and become one of the first female zookeepers in Australia, she thought her biggest challenges would be feeding big cats and subduing irate gorillas. In fact, it was her male colleagues who made work miserable, harassing and humiliating her for doing a ‘man’s job’. So, she looked to the animals under her care to prove them wrong.

“She is a trailblazer. She is a game changer.”

Zoos and aquariums are about animals AND people. 

Today, 72% of people who work in our profession are women. Erna’s career shows it wasn’t always so. Her memoir is all about the determination, leadership and grit of women.

Karen Fifield MNZM, Chief Executive,
Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo and President, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.