Five of the most influential women in animal conservation

Today is International Women’s Day, so we thought we would take a moment to celebrate the unique, empowering and inspiring women all over the world who have lent a hand in preserving nature and wildlife worldwide.

Terri Irwin

Terri was born and raised in Oregon, USA but moved to Australia after her marriage to Aussie legend, Steve Irwin. Terri and Steve became major players in the conservation of Australian wildlife and even after Steve’s passing in 2006, Terri continued their legacy. In 2006, Terri was awarded an Honorary Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia for “outstanding dedication to wildlife conservation and the tourism industry”. Terri owns and runs Australia Zoo and has also been given an Honorary Doctorate of Science from The University of Queensland, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to conservation and environmental management efforts.

Jane Goodall

Alright, so we all know who Jane Goodall is but we can’t write this list without including her on it. Dame Jane Goodall is one of the world’s most famous female scientist in addition to being a conservationist, humanitarian and UN Messenger of Peace. She is most famous for her incredible work with chimpanzees, observing their behaviours and complex social system. It would take far too long to list all of the awards that Dr. Goodall has received, she is one outstanding woman!

Eugenie Clark

Eugenie has become well-known as ‘The Shark Lady’. She grew up spending her weekends at the aquarium and found herself developing a love for all things ocean and wished that she could swim with the sharks.

She was well-regarded for her research into the behaviour of sharks and she helped society understand the beauty of the creatures. She completed over 72 submersible dives and countless more using Scuba gear. Unfortunately, Eugenie passed away in 2015 and she now has a place in the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

Birutè Galdikas

Birutè is a Lithuanian-Canadian anthropologist, primatologist, conservationist, ethologist and author. She has been recognised as a leading authority on orangutans. Little was known about the species before Birutè’s studies. Birutè was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and has had many other accolades.

Lyn White

Lyn is the Director of Strategy for Animals Australia. She is recognised and respected as one of Australia’s foremost animal advocates and animal cruelty investigators.

Lyn spent 20 years in the South Australian Police Force, where she spent most of her time fighting on behalf of human victims and now her work fighting as an animal advocate has seen her honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia, named one of the Australia’s most influential women, and a two-time state finalist for Australian of the Year.

There is some incredible work being done around the globe for animal care and these women are just a few of the many who are taking part in preserving our precious wildlife. We are so proud to have multiple Australian women up the top of the list of the most influential women in animal conservation and we look forward to seeing more of their great work.  

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