Stephen has worked with many different species of animal since he was 19 years old. But he has always held a special place for quokkas – they are intrinsically linked to happy childhood memories as he spent many of his family holidays on Rottnest Island around quokkas.
While working at Perth Zoo, he became the Zoo and Aquarium Association Species Coordinator for Quokkas, ensuring the population in Zoos and Wildlife Parks throughout Australasia is genetically diverse and sustainable. He has also gained a seat on the Quokka Recovery Team, who are working to prevent the decline of mainland quokka populations.
In his downtime he loves to be outdoors, whether playing football, going for a hike, or heading to the beach for a surf. One of his favourite areas to visit in Western Australia (aside from Rottnest) is Denmark. He likes to hike around the area and try and get a sighting of the elusive mainland quokka. He has yet to see one in the wild, so the search continues!