Tim Faulkner

Wrestling a saltwater crocodile, wrangling a deadly Taipan and milking a Funnel-web spider is all in a days work for Faulkner and that still leaves time in this passionate conservationists day to release a blue-tongued lizard, tag a wild platypus and save the Tasmania Devil from extinction, topped off with coordinating his responsibilities as General Manager and Head of Conservation at the Australia Reptile Park in Somersby NSW and The Devil Ark at Barrington Tops NSW. He is the Australian Geographic Australian Conservationist of the Year 2015. Tim is a recognised leader in the Australian zoo industry and in conservation organisations. His working life has been dedicated to hands-on wildlife education and conservation. It is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Central Coast's largest tourism attraction the Australian Reptile Park. Along with 35 staff and 50 volunteers, Faulkner is credited with the growing success of the park as the leading wildlife tourism attraction in NSW for both regional and global markets, attracting over 220,000 visitors a year, including regular bus tours of visitors from North and South East Asia. In 2012, he began to appear regularly on Network Ten's program Bondi Vet. It became quickly apparent that his talents are not confined to the inside of a zoo. His magnetic personality shines through the television screen and his genuine enthusiasm for the animal world contributes to stable ratings in a prime time slot for the show, with viewership close to 500,000 per episode. In 2013, Faulkner was able to shine the spotlight on his beloved animals and endangered species in his own program, "The Wild Life of Tim Faulkner". Now in its third series, the television show is the perfect blend of wild life conservation education and entertainment. With his desire for adventure and animal expertise engaging viewers of all ages, Faulkner brings to life the combination of deadly and dangerous animal encounters as well as rescuing cute and cuddly mammals. The successful series is also broadcast around the world in 150 countries, boasting a global audience of 180 million per series. His consistent message of Australian nature conservation is a genuine and essential part of the educational series and his global audience is ever expanding. His dedication to conservation extends beyond his professional life into him being a personal Ambassador and activist on behalf of several Australian animals. He was instrumental in initiating the not-for-profit organisation and is the General Manager and on the Board of Directors of, The Devil Ark, a large-scale conservation breeding facility for Tasmanian devils in the Barrington Tops of NSW. In 2015 he became a patron for the Great Koala National Park, he is also an Ambassador for the Quokka and the Australian Dingo Coalition. Faulkner's nomination for and winning of the 2015 Conservationist of the Year title by the Australian Geographic Society comes a great honor and delight.