Jeraldine Teng

My thing is working with captive animals

I want to complete my Ph.D. in Environmental Management and lead the world in financially successful captive animal conservation and management.

The nature of my goal

There are many preconceived ideas regarding captive animals. Some say it’s cruel to lock them up, some say it’s great for education and entertainment. The fact remains that whether we like it or not, there will always be animals in captivity. Here in NZ, we treat animals with the proper respect they deserve. However, this is not always true in other parts of the world. There is a continuous demand for wildlife interaction through recreational activities, education and research. Our wildlife industry in NZ has the potential to lead by example on an international platform.

My Postgraduate Diploma in Natural Resource Management has equipped me with the necessary skills and techniques to mitigate many global issues. My next step is to complete a Ph.D. in Environmental Management by understanding how institutions outside NZ meet their society’s desires for wildlife interaction through captive breeding and management.

This will involve comparing and studying controversial game farms, zoos and museums from developed and developing countries. Upon the completion of my studies, I intend to continue to work alongside zoos and controversial game-farms to make a difference for the animals there.

With my experiences as an animal care-giver and scientist, I will facilitate better captive animal living conditions in developing countries and assist them with successful conservation for future generations to appreciate. The kiwi-attitude I've cultivated since moving here in 1998 has and will take me a long way in my career and aspirations.