Dr. John Hanger is Australia Zoo's resident vet. John grew up in Hong Kong. As a child he was intrigued by science, and also loved playing with animals, so he decided to put the two together. John moved back to Australia where he studied veterinary science, graduating in 1992. He set up a private practice working with domestic pets and farm animals, but felt like he was missing his true calling.
John went back to university to gain his Ph.d. in koala physiology and founded Wildcare with colleague Gail Gipp. John went on to become the vet at Dreamworld — a theme park on Australia's Gold Coast with tigers, koalas and kangaroos. Moving to Australia Zoo in December 2003, John services the veterinary needs of all the zoo's animals, including rescued and rehabilitated wildlife. John is the coordinator of all wildlife research and field projects. His favorite animals are koalas but he has a pet pig called Sooty. John studies martial arts and enjoys wildlife photography in his spare time, although he is on call 24 hours a day.
