Uli Weiher was eighteen years old when she began working at Melbourne Zoo in 1969. New to Melbourne, Uli had grown up on a snake farm in Germany where she had also studied animal management.

At that time, female keepers were rare and she began her career in the animal nursery. She progressed to working with smaller primates and, eventually, the gorillas.

Uli was well-known for her key role in hand-raising baby gorillas Mzuri in 1984 and Yakini in 1999. She is now the Primate Specialist at Melbourne Zoo.

Further information:

150 years Melbourne Zoo, Zoos Victoria, Bounce Books, 2012