Cameron Kerr on conservation, leadership and a life with animals

Cameron Kerr has spent 25 years at the helm of Australia’s Taronga Zoo, transforming it from a traditional attraction into a global conservation powerhouse. A zoologist and conservationist at heart, Cameron’s story begins in the rock pools of Collaroy and the paddocks of rural NSW, where a pet donkey and injured rabbits sparked a lifelong love of animals.

In this conversation, Cameron reflects on a career that bridges science, business and ethics. He shares candid stories, from rescuing rabbits as a boy to running one of Australia’s most complex conservation organisations. We also hear about the moral dilemmas of keeping animals in zoos and how Taronga is leading world-first efforts to save species from platypuses to corals.

Cameron also opens up about leadership, values, and resilience, including what it takes to guide a thousand-strong team through crises like COVID, and how passion, patience and persistence can drive systemic change.

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