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Life in a Zoo: It’s Not What You Think
A lion cub. A newborn gorilla fighting for life. And the man who showed up when it mattered most.
In this extraordinary episode of The Greaterverse, Anne-Marie Kruk sits down with Zookeeper Chad, Managing Director of three Australian wildlife parks: Mogo Wildlife Park, Featherdale Wildlife Park and Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, to explore what it really means to dedicate your life to animals.
Chad shares how a chance decision at 17 to “find a job with animals” turned into a 29-year career in conservation, education and leadership. From honing chef knife skills that unexpectedly prepared him to feed zoo animals, to becoming a trusted voice in wildlife media, his journey is anything but ordinary.
At the heart of this conversation are two remarkable stories.
When a lion cub named Maji lost her mother at birth, Chad stepped in raising her from “day dot” while ensuring she would still grow into a true lioness. And when a newborn gorilla, Kaius, was critically ill and rejected in the chaos of a traumatic birth, Chad became his round-the-clock caregiver, feeding him every two hours, sleeping beside him, and guiding him through the thousands of tiny steps needed to reunite him with his family.
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to care for creatures weighing 200 kilos… or how you raise a lion in your home without turning her into a house cat… this episode is for you.
This episode explores:
The profound bond between humans and animals
What raising a lion and a gorilla taught Chad about love, boundaries and identity
Why hyenas deserve better PR (and how The Lion King got it wrong)
The intelligence of animals and why we still underestimate it
The responsibility we hold as humans to protect habitats while still building our own futures
It’s a story of resilience, conservation, humility and joy and a powerful reminder that when we listen closely, animals have far more to teach us than we realise.
New episodes every Tuesday.
Zookeeper Chad - Instagram: zookeeper_chad
Follow, share and listen to more episodes here
https://linktr.ee/thegreaterverse
View all episodes
By Anne-Marie KrukA lion cub. A newborn gorilla fighting for life. And the man who showed up when it mattered most.
In this extraordinary episode of The Greaterverse, Anne-Marie Kruk sits down with Zookeeper Chad, Managing Director of three Australian wildlife parks: Mogo Wildlife Park, Featherdale Wildlife Park and Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, to explore what it really means to dedicate your life to animals.
Chad shares how a chance decision at 17 to “find a job with animals” turned into a 29-year career in conservation, education and leadership. From honing chef knife skills that unexpectedly prepared him to feed zoo animals, to becoming a trusted voice in wildlife media, his journey is anything but ordinary.
At the heart of this conversation are two remarkable stories.
When a lion cub named Maji lost her mother at birth, Chad stepped in raising her from “day dot” while ensuring she would still grow into a true lioness. And when a newborn gorilla, Kaius, was critically ill and rejected in the chaos of a traumatic birth, Chad became his round-the-clock caregiver, feeding him every two hours, sleeping beside him, and guiding him through the thousands of tiny steps needed to reunite him with his family.
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to care for creatures weighing 200 kilos… or how you raise a lion in your home without turning her into a house cat… this episode is for you.
This episode explores:
The profound bond between humans and animals
What raising a lion and a gorilla taught Chad about love, boundaries and identity
Why hyenas deserve better PR (and how The Lion King got it wrong)
The intelligence of animals and why we still underestimate it
The responsibility we hold as humans to protect habitats while still building our own futures
It’s a story of resilience, conservation, humility and joy and a powerful reminder that when we listen closely, animals have far more to teach us than we realise.
New episodes every Tuesday.
Zookeeper Chad - Instagram: zookeeper_chad
Follow, share and listen to more episodes here
https://linktr.ee/thegreaterverse