Ben Dessen

Ben's fascination and interaction with animals and the natural environment have been an integral part of his life. Ben grew up experiencing the freedom of a childhood spent exploring the wonders of the Australian bush. He can still clearly recall the excitement he felt as a six year old caring for his first snake. Ben's family quickly expanded to include a vast menagerie of python's, lizards, birds, insects, frogs, chickens, dogs and many other native animals who came to share his home over the years that followed. These early experiences fuelled an innate interest in Ben which quickly evolved into a driving passion. Ben became a voluntary wildlife rescuer and continues to care for countless species of native animals as he has done for more than a decade. Ben also works in the zoological industry, conducts educational courses about animal husbandry and care of wildlife and has extensive practical experience from a life spent interacting closely with a vast array of animals ranging fro