Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo

The first carboNZero-certified zoo in the world, Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo puts conservation at the centre of everything it does. Set into the hills of the city-fringe suburb of Newtown, Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo is a thoroughly modern institution dedicated to conservation and sustainability. From solving a lion's itchy ears to keeping native penguins well-fed, the team of veterinarians and keepers know how to keep animals happy and put their welfare first.

As a born and raised Wellingtonian who loves animals, Wellington Zoo is one of my favourite places to spend time in the city and has been for most of my life. I'll frequently pop by with a camera and check out the goings-on around the zoo. This has led to many collaborations and opportunities to work with the zoo's team on a variety of projects, including the use of my photography in marketing and social media.

In 2022, the zoo began work on a multi-million dollar project to renovate the old sun bear habitat into a state-of-the-art, sustainable, stimulating environment for two new snow leopards, Asha and Manju. The exhibit would include climate controlled dens, caves, steep rock faces and advanced animal care facilities. Wellington Zoo is a not-for-profit organisation and relies on public support and donations to help them build new exhibits, fund research efforts and ensure their animals receive the best of care. As part of these efforts, I was asked to design concepts for a wooden pin that could be sold as a fundraising product at the zoo shop. The pins went on sale in March 2022 and the new snow leopard habitat opened to the public on 12 April 2023.

A year after Asha and Manju's arrival, I visited the zoo and took some photos of their new habitat. These images was used by the zoo across social media. In September 2024, the zoo announced snow leopard close encounters would be available, with a marketing campaign rolled out across Wellington. My photography was seen on digital billboards, posters, and the back of the official zoo map. The campaign itself was designed by the Zoo's incredible in-house creative team. This was a dream come true for me, both as a photographer and fan of Wellington Zoo, and I could not have been prouder to see my images out in the wild.