blog
Don't keep your eyes shut. Don't keep your mouth shut.
Written by: Sally
Date: July 29, 2008
Way back in 2004, I was here at the Zoo with some lovely people from the RSPCA for an awareness and fundraising project we were enlisted to be a part of. Actually, it was Steve who was lending his face to the cause, never being one to say no to something that would help animals. Steve took the opportunity to bend their ears about the killing of seals, which occurs annually for commercial reasons all over the world. These particular seals were being killed for fun by people who would actually pay to go out to the ice floes for this reason. An imperceptible notion, I know!
As he said his goodbyes, he instructed me to make sure the two men from the RSPCA were provided with a URL where they could witness video footage of a baby harp seal being clubbed. He looked me in the eye, and with an almost undetectable tremor in his voice, he said, "Sally, I really want them to see this. Please make sure they watch it - it's so important."
I gladly passed on the information, knowing it was important for people to see the horrors of the seal hunt to fully understand the cruelty. To say that Steve was a compassionate man is a drastic understatement. Witnessing the footage would have been unbearable for this man whose driving force was protecting and saving wildlife.
Personally, I had no desire to witness something so horrific at the time, so I didn't type in that URL myself. Even though I felt for the seals from what Steve had described, and I knew it was important to grasp the severity of the situation by viewing the footage, I couldn't bring myself to watch it. Ignorance, as they say, is bliss.
Now four years on the violent killing of baby seals has been brought to my attention again. When I decided to investigate the commercial seal hunt in Canada, I realised I had to bite the bullet and come to understand what I was dealing with here. Yes, the footage was horrific beyond imaginings. Yes, I cried.
In our soon-to-be-released September issue we have focused on our wonderful marine wildlife. There are so many wonderful creatures of the sea, but so many of them are in trouble - our 25-page Marine Wildlife special feature takes you through some of the best and worst happenings at sea. There are some issues to ponder, as well as the revealing of some exciting plans from our very own Terri Irwin, and some marvellous wildlife to... well, marvel at!
Don't keep your eyes shut. Don't keep your mouth shut. One man can make a difference - you can make a difference.
Love Sal
If you go out in the Zoo today, you're sure of a BIG surprise!
Written by: Sally
Date: June 20, 2008
I get a real kick out of the buzz of excitement when we come to work and the word is out - we have a new animal coming to join us! It's really cool when it's a species we already have, like when we recently got three new Sumatran Tiger cubs, but it is super-dooper thrilling when it's a new exotic animal, like rhinoceros!
Southern White Rhinos are a fascinating species, being one of very few who have come back from the brink of extinction. Now there is a healthy population in captivity and in the wild. This is extremely heartening, as it just proves that us humans working towards the conservation goal is not a lost cause - we can make such a difference if only we try!
In the latest issue of CRIKEY! Magazine, Giles Clark shares his experience working with Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Africa, who work tirelessly to protect the wild population of Rhino. It's definitely worth a read!
Love
The CRIKEY! girls
xox
Words from the celebrity trailer
From: Rachael
Date: December 19, 2007
Rach
Hot off the press and ready for your hot little hands is our fourth edition of Australia Zoo CRIKEY! Magazine. After much hard work, our team is proud to present the best mag to date!
Sally, Kate and myself stopped at nothing to bring you a jam-packed edition of wildlife conservation, fun-filled activities for the kids and exclusive posters.
To keep you in the loop, I've been busy getting out and about promoting the mag across the country. Scoring the coolest prizes around and organising some amazing competitions... From getting our promo stall days off the ground, to writing stories, it's been an eventful few months! With too many highlights to mention, one which did stand out was meeting talented singer/songwriter, Amy Pearson.
(Win a copy of her latest CD on page 79)
Kate
Our talented graphic designer, Miss Davies has been a busy bee making sure that our pages are eye catching with a stylish flair! After working overtime to get the publication out in tip top shape, Kate took a well earned break in New Zealand. Now back and fresher than ever, she is already tackling the March edition.
Watch this space for regular updates on what's hot in Australia Zoo CRIKEY! Magazine... In the New Year, you could score stacks of cool prizes, so visit our website and try your luck with the comps!
Sally
Our Senior Editor, Sally has been jet-setting off to the big smoke! Mingling with the stars in October, for the annual Nickelodeon Australia 2007 Kids' Choice Awards in Sydney, it's now back to reality in our new "Celebrity Trailer" office.
Much to the envy of her colleagues, Sal was serenaded by David Campbell at his latest CD launch in Brisbane.
Managing to sort out the mag's layout, research stories and organise our fabulous photographs, this super mum is looking forward to hearing all of your feedback.
Drop her a line at editor@crikeymag.com... Until the next edition, stay safe and have a fabulous Christmas and New Year!
Love
The CRIKEY! girls
xox
New little team
Written by: Sally Townsend, Editor
Date: September 7, 2007
Another issue of the best magazine in the whole wide world has hit the shelves! Hurrah! Our new little team of three - Rachael, Kate and I - are really proud of the September issue. It looks delish, and there are some really fun and interesting articles in there.
Rachael felt inspired by our drop-dead gorgeous Asian Elephants, so she has put together a big-as-an-elephant's-butt Wild Child for all the kids. She also had a blast when she went shopping to pick out all of the gorgeous designer clothing for our kid's fashion shoot. Pick up a copy of the mag to find out how you can win a shopping spree at Australia Zoo on the Beach and a trip to the Sunshine Coast, including of course, a fun-filled day at Australia Zoo!
Kate, our graphic designer, was like a kid in a candy store when it came to putting together all of the cool, colourful designs for each and every page, and I can tell you - it looks great! She says of all her hard work, her favourite page would have to be the one about the Kokoda Trail, which is beautiful and the story was written by our Stacey Byrne of Australia Zoo Travel. Stacey had a life-changing and humbling experience on the Australia Zoo Travel tour, trekking the trail that shapes an important part of our Australian history.
And me? Well, one great experience I had during the production of this magazine stands out... I am lucky enough to have many wonderful conversations with the very inspiring Terri Irwin, but it was just lovely to sit up on the impressive Steve's Whale One whale watching boat and interview her about the latest venture that sees one of her husband's dreams become a reality. Terri really and truly is keeping her promise of furthering Steve's conservation goals, and Rachael and I were thrilled to be able to hear all about it, straight from the horse's mouth.
So there you have it. Make sure you take a peek at what's hot in This Issue.
Take care my friends, and make sure you drop me a line to let me know what you think about the new issue - editor@crikeymag.com
Dirt roads and red carpets
Written by: Sally Townsend, Editor
Date: June 7, 2007
Crikey! Working on CRIKEY! Magazine is so much fun! I have been with Australia Zoo for a long time now and have scooted around a bunch of different roles in our marketing department, and with Wildlife Warriors, and I have loved them all. I have had some amazing experiences over the years, meeting incredible people and being allowed to get close to almost all of our drop-dead gorgeous animals. I am continually inspired by the Irwins and all of the wonderful and passionate people who work here at the Zoo. Because I have had so many great experiences and opportunities working for this company, my next comment does indeed hold a decent amount of weight: working on CRIKEY! Magazine is the most exciting and fulfilling work I have ever done. It is continually challenging and creatively satisfying.
Having our very first issue in March hit the stands throughout Australia was incredibly thrilling, and Jessica and I were so proud of our efforts. However, our June issue is even better and bigger at 80 pages! There are great stories in there for wildlife enthusiasts, stacks of cool stuff for kids and more Irwin family photos and stories than ever.
Terri Irwin has written all about her family's adventures with stories from dirt roads and red carpets. The CRIKEY! team also had a red carpet experience recently when we headed to the TV Week Logie Awards in Melbourne. Nettie, the best photographer in the world, and I felt a bit spesh and we decked ourselves out in our best khakis for our night of glam! We met stacks of celebs and they all gave our mate, Murray the croc, a big cuddle. You can see more gorgeous pics of Terri and Bindi in the June issue in our Celebrity Zoo section, where you will also be able to check out some of the celebrities who have visited Australia Zoo recently.
Before you shoot off, make sure you have a sneaky peek at some of the pages from our awesome June issue on our This Issue page. Just click up there on your left... see that? Yep, you've got it - you're on your way. Have fun!
