A couple of months ago, I was invited to participate in the Perth Laborastory event. The Laborastory is a science storytelling event usually held in Melbourne that comes to tell the stories of science – “the heroes, the egos, the breakthroughs and the mistakes of genius”. This was the second time it had been held over West, and I was delighted to be involved!

My science story revolved around two of my heroes – David Attenborough and Gerald Durrell. Whilst you are no doubt well aware of the first, you might not be so familiar with the second. In my story, I describe my failed close encounter with Attenborough, my captivation with Durrell, and how both men contributed to my zoological career.

Hear the full story below. Unfortunately the acoustics are a little on the quiet side, so you’ll need to turn it up! And yes, I swear the audience is laughing in those quiet pauses…!